Pokemon: Tuscero Triumph
by Kuro no okami 23
Summary: The Tuscero Region, a bright beautiful land full of incredible Pokémon waiting to be seen. Luke Anders, a man who has spent most of his life in the kitchen ventures out from his childhood home to become the region's next champion. Along the way he'll meet friends, conquer rivals, defeat gym leaders, find love, and protect his home while making his dream come true.
1. Chapter 1

Pokémon: Road to the Top

_ Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, and Alola. The shining regions that litter the wonderful world that we know. Each region blessed by Arceus with the life of thousands of unique and wonderous creatures called Pokémon. They fly in the sky, swim through the waters, run through the wide-open fields, and live amongst us humans and assist us in our daily lives. From helping us with daily chores, living amongst us as we age in our years, and battling side by side to gain strength and experience. The world we live in is wonderful and mysterious, because with every new discovery there is always something interesting around the corner. This story tells the tale of a new region that will take its time in the spotlight as it follows the tale of a young man and his Pokémon as they traverse the wide-open land of the exotic and unique Tuscero region and fulfill their dreams of becoming champions. _

Chapter 1: Setting Off

The morning sun peaked through the clouds and shined down on the beautiful region of Tuscero, a region only few in the world of Pokémon know about but is still known to many tourists and trainers who desire to see the lush, green fields, crystal clear, blue waters, and the towering, sprawling cities that litter the region. The lovely little town of Janus Village was small but still had its lovely charm that one would typically find in a small town that you can't help but love. Cobblestone walk ways litter the roads with various homes, shops, and small restaurants were placed in different spots around the town and the number of tourists and major businesses that drive through the town and purchase goods from the town were more than enough to make the small town be able to thrive on its own. In a small house near the main square of the village, a young man awoke from his slumber by the sound of numerous bird Pokémon chirping and cawing. The young man raised from his sleep and tried to rub the exhaustion out from his amber eyes, luckily his short black hair was close enough to his scalp that he didn't need to worry about having bed hair. The young man, Luke Anders, cracked his neck before smiling and shooting up from his bed.

Luke was a young man of seventeen and in very good shape for his age with a muscular body and defined six pack. Currently dressed in nothing but a pair of black workout shorts Luke leaned forward and let gravity take over as he dropped but as he hit the floor he put his hands out and caught himself so he could do a quick set of push-ups before heading to work. In Luke's home region of Tuscero, the minimum age to become a Pokémon trainer is 14, the region decided to make it that way instead of ten like in the other regions to give the young trainers the feeling of having more responsibility before setting off. Luke decided to stay back a few years so he could develop more skills in the kitchen as a chef as well as a future trainer with his siblings and mother before setting off on his own. As of now, Luke was an incredibly well-known name in the culinary world and the place that he currently worked at had started out as a small family run business that was only known to a few but thanks to him it had flourished to a name known all around Tuscero. And today was his last day working there before he set off on his first ever journey.

In the last few years of his life, Luke had been wondering and dreaming of the life of a Pokémon trainer and what it would be like to take a journey of his own. After a trip to Sinnoh and Kalos he had decided to train his skills and knowledge of Pokémon as much as he could, so he trained daily with his family and friends to grow his strength in the hopes of one day becoming the next Tuscero Region Champion. But now he had to get ready for work. After finishing his little workout and taking a quick shower he had gotten dressed in his uniform, a pair of black khakis with a white long-sleeved shirt and a blue button-up vest on top of it. He finished off his ensemble with a pair of black, no-slip work shoes and left his room. As he was leaving, Luke saw his mother on the outside deck watching the sunrise with her usual cup of coffee and her ever loyal Arcanine, Summer, lying by her feet. Luke smiled and made his way over to his mother; Summer roused to the sounds of his footsteps and raised her head to look at him.

Luke smiled and pet the large Dog Pokemon's head before he sat down in a chair next to his mother who set her mug down.

"As usual you are up and ready to meet the day." She said. Luke smiled and nodded. Despite her nearly fifty years of age, Luke's mother Gene was a very lovely woman. With black hair that fell to her shoulders, deep blue-green colored eyes, clear white skin with a few freckles dotted across her face and a pair of black, square-rimmed glasses on her face she was a beautiful woman indeed. She was dressed in a simple teal sundress and matching slippers, the outfit she wore over morning when she watched the sun rise.

Luke nodded, "I blame that on you. You know how much I hate being late and I know for a fact that I get that from you since you do the same thing." He said making his mother laugh. Seeing his mother laugh was always something that brought Luke joy. When Gene had started on her own journey when she was 16 and decided to take on the Sinnoh region she was a serious powerhouse. Took the entire league by storm when she defeated every Gym Leader and made it all the way to the Sinnoh League, however that was when tragedy struck. On her way to the competition she was caught in a massive rockslide that broke both of her legs. Due to the severity of her injuries she is now unable to walk but despite her injury she would not let go of her dream and completed the league which allowed her to challenge the Elite four and eventually the Champion. However, she was unable to defeat the Sinnoh Region Champion but was still excited that she made it that far. She the moved back to her native Tuscero and met Luke's father which unfortunately did not work out as Luke's father ended up cheating on Gene and left with his mistress. Although Luke was too young to know his father, he did still feel some bitterness towards him but decided it was too exhausting to focus on grudges.

Gene ended up raising Luke and his older brother Adam, whose father she met before leaving Sinnoh, with all the love and care that a mother could give, and her children could ever want. And as far as Luke knew it was all he ever needed.

Gene looked over at her son, "Are you nervous about tomorrow?" she asked.

Luke swallowed before sighing, "A little, the idea of leaving you and the home that I have known for my entire life is a bit daunting, but I always knew that there was a lot more to the world then just here in Janus. And I can always go back to the kitchen which is what I plan on doing but before that happens, I want to see what it's like at the top of the Tuscero League as its champion." He said staring off into the sunset.

Gene giggled slightly, "You always did have big dreams now it looks like you'll finally be able to fulfill them." She said. Luke nodded before looking at the nearby clock, it was time for him to head off to work. He bid his mother goodbye and gave Summer one last pet before heading to his family garage. After opening the door, the light flooded into the garage and illuminated an incredibly polished and well maintained sports bike that was mainly black in color with grey trimming with the sides having the appearance of wings with the seat having the color of a storm blue turbine and the front where the headlights were the appearance of a dragon-type Pokémon head. The bike itself was affectionately called The Mach Zekrom, after the legendary Pokémon of the Unova region who also just happened to be Luke's favorite legendary Pokémon. Luke smiled as he mounted the vehicle and started the engine.

The roar of the Mach Zekrom always brought a smile to the young man's face as he put on a black and grey helmet and sped off towards his beloved job.

_Pokémon_

The drive to Luke's job was as beautiful as it always was. The shining sunrise illuminated the shining morning dew of the beautiful plants and flowers that littered the roads and walkways of Janus Village, several different types of bird Pokémon flew around through the skies, Patrat, Ratata, and other Pokémon skittered alongside the roads and inside the nearby forest. All in all, the mornings of Janus will be something that Luke will miss for a while. Luke drove into the more commercial area of Janus Village which housed more shops and dining areas and pulled into the parking lot of Drake's Bakery, a well-known and beloved establishment of Janus Village that welcomed both humans and Pokémon alike. Luke pulled into his usual parking spot and cut the engine. Drake's Bakery was one of the few establishments that was known entirely throughout Tuscero as one of the most successful family run businesses that also served as a sit-down dessert room where patrons could come and order beautiful plated desserts but that was only at night for certain hours. Luke was honored to work here, and he was also very proud of himself for all the contributions that he had made to the bakery and it will forever be a part of his life.

Luke walked into the bakery and smiled as he saw several people and Pokémon enjoying various pastries and snacks that could be viewed in the open glass cases at the front of the store. At the front of it all was an older man in his late 60's with graying hair and a matching beard with deep blue eyes and black square rimmed glasses and stood at a staggering 6'2 with a kind smile on his face as he greeted and served customers that came and went. Assisting him was red and white penguin-like Pokémon. Its face and chest were covered in white feathers and there were two three-pointed crests above its eyes. Black markings surrounded its eyes and its beak and feet were yellow with a single white spot on its belly and two small toes on its feet. The man was Martin Drake, the owner, founder, and head baker of Drakes bakery and the Pokémon was his partner Delibird. These two were the ones who gave Luke the opportunity to work in the pastry industry professionally and had also become like a father to Luke. And they both knew that today was his last day in the bakery. Delibird looked up from handing a small girl a cupcake and saw Luke walk in which caused the small bird to break out in a smile.

"Deli deli!" the small bird said as it flew over to Luke.

Luke smiled at the small bird and gave it a quick high five as it came up to him, "Yo, morning Delibird. You keeping everything on track for Martin and everyone else?" he asked.

Delibird nodded, "Deli, deli!" he said saluting which made Luke laugh.

Martin then smiled in the boy's direction, "And walking through the front doors right now is the future Champion of the Tuscero Region and the number one baker at Drake's, Mr. Luke Anders!" he said loud enough for the whole bakery to hear causing them all to clap and cheer. Many of the store's regulars knew who Luke was and what his dreams were so it wasn't unusual for them to start cheering. The whole thing just made Luke blush and rub the back of his head in embarrassment as he walked through the sea of people to make his way to the back one of the smaller kids, a young boy named Billy, ran up and hugged Luke.

"Luke are you really leaving forever?" the young boy said with a few tears coming into his eyes.

Luke smiled gently and knelt down to the boy's level, "Of course not Billy. Janus is and always will be my home, but I've put off going on a journey for too long. Heck, I don't even have a Pokémon of my own. My whole family have experienced so much on their own journey's and I am the only one who hasn't," Luke said before standing up, "The Tuscero Region is getting more and more popular and I don't want to be the only child of this region who hasn't experienced it for myself so after today I'm heading to Minerva City to get my own Pokémon and having my own journey." He said before pointing at a hanging poster of the current Tuscero Champion and his Gallade and Haxorus standing behind him.

"After I take down the Gym Leaders of the region, I'm taking down the Elite Four then taking the Champion's seat. Nothing is going to stop me from becoming champion. I'm going to travel this region, experience many more amazing things, and grow as a trainer even more to take the top spot of the Tuscero Region. That you can count on." He finished lowering his arm, the people in the bakery were somehow tongue tied at the declaration that the young man said. The young Billy seemed to have stars in his eyes as he looked up at the older boy who he had idolized since he was younger.

That was when Luke felt a large arm around his shoulders and started to squeeze his neck slightly, "Right but before that happens, you are still one of my employees for one last day. So get to work squirt." He said causing the people in the bakery to start laughing. Luke joined in and tussled Billy's hair before he headed into the back of the bakery to begin his work.

The rest of the day went on how it usually did for Luke when he worked, helping out in the front of the bakery as well as prepping the rest of baked goods that were needed for the rest of the day as well as the next day. Luke was currently folding over a set of puff pastry dough with a few of his other co-workers. The dough would eventually get turned into Palmiers or Elephant Ears as most people called them so the process itself was long, but the end result was worth it.

"So, Luke, you going to miss us when you leave?" a tan skinned girl named Kiara asked him causing him to smile.

"Of course, I am, maybe not how we all end up smelling like sugar and butter at the end of the day but I am definitely going to miss this place. But I am also excited to see what Tuscero can offer." He said as he wrapped his dough in plastic wrap and placed it back in the fridge. When he did he suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist and a rather supple pair of breasts press into his back. At first he was surprised but when he turned to see who it was, he groaned while the young woman gave him a seductive smile. The girl was a few inches shorter than Luke so she came up just to the top of his chest, she had long chestnut hair with amber highlights that fell just passed her shoulders which she kept up in a short ponytail, she had a very shapely body with curves in all the right places and a very large bust despite her 16 years of age but the most striking thing about her was her eyes, she had bright sea green eyes with, when you looked close enough, had small flecks of gold running through them. The young girl was Cynthia Lopus or Cyn as her many "conquests" called her. The girl was a very hard worker and was very passionate about the pastry industry, but her main problem was she was a straight up flirt.

The girl would literally sleep with any dude that had cash and some good looks and the minute that Luke started working at Drake's she had been trying to add him to the notches on her bedpost. Now, Luke wasn't blind to the girl's looks or to her charms, but he did have standards and there was no way that he would give it up to some girl that batter her eyes at him. Luke was a bit unexperienced in the intimacy department, but he was by no means easy.

Luke turned around and Cyn continued to hold onto Luke around his waist, "What are you guys talking about Luke's not going anywhere," she said before she pouted and started rubbing the side of Luke's face with her finger, "He's not going to leave his angel behind especially when we haven't had any alone time together yet." She said.

Luke groaned and put a finger to her forehead and gently pushed her away, "Trust me Cyn if there was anything that you are not its an angel. I think devil would be more appropriate. But sadly, I am leaving tomorrow and that's not changing." He said before moving away from Cyn, leaving her confused and pouting like an angry child. She stomped her foot in anger and went back to mixing batter for her eclairs. Luke juts smiled, there were defiantly some things he was going to miss and some he was not.

_Pokémon_

As the night went on things were pretty much the same in the bakery, the flow of people was a bit higher since a lot of our regulars decided to come by and wish him good luck on my journey. It made Luke feel happy to know that he had made such an impact on so many people. He had just finished serving up another customer who wished him luck when he saw that his shift was just about over. He gave a sigh; he was going to miss Drake's the people here have been like a second family to him and he would always love them for that but now it was time to go out and make his dream a reality. As he was finishing up, Martin and the rest of the staff came up to him with sad smiles on their faces.

"Well it looks like this is it." Martin said.

Luke gave a small smile, "Yeah, for the next few months I'll be traveling all around Tuscero catching Pokémon and challenging gyms for badges then I'll become the Tuscero Region Champion." Luke said with full confidence.

Martin and the rest of the team laughed but they all knew that Luke was dead serious about becoming champion and thanks to the few battles that he had had with them they knew he could do it. Delibird came flying up and placed a decent sized white box on the counter next to Luke.

"Deli, deli." He said pointing at the box and then at the team.

"A little something to help you remember us on your journey." Martin said. Luke took the box and opened it up. The contents revealed a black and dark blue driver cap. This was one of Luke's favorite hat styles and it was just amazing. Luke smiled and took the hat out and placed it on his head with the bill facing forward. It fit perfectly.

"Wow, thanks guys. Not just for the hat but for everything that we've been through while being together. I can't thank you guys enough." He said. After a few hugs and a few teary good-byes Luke let the bakery for the last time and headed home where he would rest with his family before he left for his journey.

_Pokémon_

Once Luke arrived home he noticed something odd, the lights inside were all off. Normally his mother would keep at least one or two lamps on for when he came home but there none this time. Luke cut the engine to his bike and took off vest and unbuttoned his shirt to reveal the black undershirt underneath. He slowly and carefully walked up to his door, due to him knowing martial arts Luke was always aware of his surroundings so he made sure to keep his eyes open.

Opening the door he slowly walked into his home and could barely see a thing due to the pitch blackness but once he closed the door he was assaulted by bright lights and popping streamers, the lights came on and revealed his mother and the rest of his family. Two small children were the first to greet him, they were still young so they could only reach his waist where they wrapped their arms around him. The two kids were twins, one boy and one girl with black skin, short black hair that was cut close to the boy's scalp but reached down to the girl's neck in a cute bob cut. They both shared dark brown eyes and the boy was dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans while the girl is wearing a cute dress. They both were about 8 years old and they were Luke's cousins Isaiah and Mikayla Dalton. They weren't related by blood, but Luke loved them like they were.

"Happy sendoff cousin!" they both said causing Luke to smile and hug them back. After they both let go he went up and saw everyone who had decided to come for his last day in his hometown. The first was his aunt, a rather tall woman who looked like an older version of Mikayla but with longer black hair and oval-rimmed glasses on her face. She was a very attractive woman, with a very curvy body dressed in a simple white dress and flats but she towered over Luke at 6'4. This was Adrienne Dalton, the twins' mother and Luke's Aunt. Again, not related by blood but still loved. The next person was a taller man in his late forties and very skinny yet he still had a decent, athletic build with deep tan skin, a shaved head, deep brown eyes that were behind a pair of black square rimmed glasses. Dressed in a red and yellow, floral pattern shirt with blue jeans and a pair of worn brown boots. This was Luke's uncle Tony Anders who currently lived in the Alola region. The woman next to him was a beautiful woman in similar age to Tony with deep tanned skin, short black hair that reached her neck, dark-gray eyes, dressed in a pink-halter top that was underneath a long-sleeved light green shirt with blue jean shorts and a pair of sandals. She had a tasteful application of makeup including some eyeliner and pink lipstick with a few bracelets and anklets. This was Tony's wife Olivia Anders, one of the Kahunas of the Alola region.

The other people in attendance were the most surprising to Luke. The first was older woman in her mid-twenties with long beautiful auburn hair that fell passed her shoulders with she had tanned skin that was nearly flawless and shining amber eyes. She had a very curvy body and was blessed in the bust, hips, and rear department but Luke would never look at her in a sexual way if he wanted to live. She was dressed in a very modest hunter green sundress with brown accents, a pair of strapped sandals, light makeup around her eyes and cheeks, and a circular gem necklace around her neck attached to a brown leather cord and was a beautiful shade of emerald. The woman was Rosa Sanchez, the girlfriend of Luke's older brother and the current Gaia City Gym Leader.

Standing next to her was a mountain of a man with the looks to match. The man had white skin with a healthy tan to it and a full day's beard of black hair that matched the short hair on top of his head with deep blue green eyes that matched his mothers. His entire body was fully muscled, and he had handsome looks to match his body type. He was dressed in a pair of khaki pants with a long sleeved black shirt over a grey t-shirt. On his right hand he wore a large silver banded ring with four claw-like protrusions that were curved inside to hold in a bright, multicolored gem with what appeared to be a black DNA strand in the center. This man was Adam Anders, Luke's older brother and the current Sinnoh Region Champion. What made Luke so surprised is that due to his older brother's status as champion he was always on a very tight schedule dealing with basically everything that had to do with the Sinnoh League, he was also a very accomplished photographer which got him even more attention than he wanted.

The final person that was there was quite an interesting shock to Luke. The person was a lovely young woman around Luke's age with beautiful porcelain skin, warm, brown eyes and long black hair that fell to her shoulders and her eyes were a lovely shade of green. She had a lovely hourglass figure but had a good number of curves on her body and a quite voluptuous chest which was covered by a simple attire of blue jeans and a long-sleeved white button-up shirt with a black tube top underneath. This was Stephanie Lorris, an old…friend of Luke's from his younger days.

All these people were Luke's closest friends and family members that Luke had not seen for a very long time.

Luke had a surprised look on his face, "Adam, Auntie, everyone what-what are you all doing here?" he asked as the twins let go of him.

Aunt Adrian came over and pulled her nephew into a hug, "Well like the kids said we all wanted to see you off before you go on your journey so Gene called all of us over to give you a proper send off."

Luke smiled, "Wow thanks everyone, this really means a lot to me that you are all here." He said as his uncle came over and hugged him as well.

"Please nephew, this is one event that was worth the long ass boat ride to get here." He said earning a slap from his wife.

"Oh, hush you, the minute Gene called you already borrowed the boat from Kukui and had dragged me away from one of my trials to get here. If anything, you should be apologizing to me and Kukui so that we could get here in time." Olivia said causing my uncle to shrink a little bit. The banter between the two of them had always made Luke laugh.

"By the way Makua (Uncle), how is_ Abuela_ (Grandmother) doing in Alola?" Luke asked letting his Johotonean heritage slip out in his language a bit and combining it with some Alolan.

Tommy smiled, "She is doing incredible as always, her little empanada stand is still doing good and she even picked up a Litten which is now a Torracat which helps her along with her Slurpuff and Heracross. At 86 years old she is still kicking and doing great, moving to Alola was the best decision that the both of us had made." He said as he pulled his wife closer to him.

Luke smiled at the couple, he had always been happy for his uncle and grandmother. Their decision to move to the Alola region had been a good one for both of them, Abuela had been getting on in her years so she wanted to head to somewhere more tropical to live out the rest of her retired days and his uncle had moved their not only to help his mother settle in but also to help out his old friend Professor Kukui who was the regional professor of Alola to help with some of the newer technologies that the professor had included in his research. Luke's uncle was an incredibly smart man when it came to technology and mechanics, so he was a welcome addition to the professor's team.

Luke then felt an intense pressure on his neck which came in the form of his older brother's giant arm wrapping around his neck, "I got to say bro I was really shocked to see you finally heading off on a journey. I always knew you had it in you I just always thought you preferred the kitchen to the battlefield." He said.

Luke struggled against his older brother's grip but spoke nonetheless, "Well, it has been a dream of mine for a long time and I thought that I was putting off for too long and even though my heart and passion are in the kitchen still I do want to see what it's like to go on a journey myself and see just what challenges await me in Tuscero," he said as his eyes went to Rosa causing him to smile, "Even if I have to go through Rosa-nee-san to make my dreams come true." He said using a bit of Kantonian which he picked up from a friend of his.

Adam laughed and released his little brother, "Well I can certainly see why you would be interested in the league here, even though I took on the Tuscero League as well and made it all the way I wasn't able to beat the champion but going to Sinnoh was probably the best thing for me since now I reached the top and I have to tell you it does feel good sitting at the top of the throne." He said happily earning him a smack from his girlfriend.

"Well regardless of what your older brother says we all are here to wish you luck in your endeavors and your journey but just know this _hermano _(Brother),when you do end up coming to my gym I will not go easily on you." She said in a loving yet serious tone.

Luke gave a confident smile, "I wouldn't have it any other way Nee-san." He said giving the older girl a hug.

Then Luke's eyes met with Stephanie, the two of them had an interesting history. They had known each other since they were five years old and practically grew up together, but when Luke decided to head into the culinary world and Stephanie decided to become a coordinator, they kind of grew apart but still stayed in touch in some ways. In fact about a year ago when Stephanie went over to the Hoenn region to take on the coordinator circuit over there and ended up making it to the final 2 but unfortunately ended up losing; Luke went over there to surprise her and help her through the frustrating time that she had just gone through. While they were together, they had gotten very intimate and ended up giving their first times to each other. It was something that the both of them would never forget but after getting back home they both decided that they wouldn't be able to make a relationship work, but they remained very close but just friends.

Luke went over to the girl and gave her a slight hug, "I'm surprised to see you here Steph, I kind of figured you would have been busy setting the Contest scene here on fire right now." He said stepping back.

Stephanie smiled, "Well I was heading back this way to head for Thalia City for my third ribbon when your aunt told me about this little going away party for you and I figured that I would say good luck. For old times sake." She said smiling. Luke smiled back; he really did care about this girl despite their interesting history.

Adam came over and draped his arms around the two younger people and grinned brightly, "Well now that we're all here, let's eat!" he shouted pulling the two teens along with him with the rest of the family following suit.

_Pokémon_

"Uh guys_, _I know that I'm the actual cook of the family but if this is supposed to be my going away party then why am I the only one doing the cooking?!" Luke shouted as he flipped a burger patty on the grill that he was currently working at. In the family's backyard, which was literally the size of a Pokémon field, everyone had set out a giant spread of burger, brats, ribs, chicken, corn, potato salad, mashed potatoes, and a variety of desserts in order to see Luke off. The only catch was, the majority of the meat had yet to be cooked and since Luke was the actual chef of the family it was on him to get everything set up.

Auntie Adrian had taken another bite of ribs before answering, "Well since this will be the last time most of us see you and taste your cooking, we need to be able to get our money's worth out of you one last time." She said licking the rich, homemade BBQ sauce from her fingers.

Isaiah came up to Luke with an empty burger bun on his plate, "Besides, no one can cook like you can cousin." He said holding his plate to him. Luke rolled his eyes and gave his younger sibling the burger he made and placed a hand on his head.

"Flattery won't always work on people Isaiah, remember that when I'm not around." He said causing the younger boy to grin and head over to the table. Luke smiled as everyone laughed, he would miss this, but this was also necessary to make his dream come true. Luke had set his spatula down for a second and headed over to where all the Pokémon his family had and gave them each a special batch of Pokémon food that he had made. One of the things he always enjoyed was creating new dishes for people and Pokémon, so when he was learning had to cook, he had also become a region certified nutritionist so he could create dishes that were suitable for Pokémon as well. A small success but he was proud of it regardless. Luke had given a batch of his specially made Pokémon food to his older brother's Bouffalant who mooed in appreciation which made Luke smile. To him there was nothing better than a person or Pokémon enjoying his food, it was something that always brought a smile to his face.

Adam looked over at his younger brother and smiled at him before standing up, "Hey Luke, since we are all here why don't we have a battle?" he said surprising everyone.

Luke shot up, "Eh, seriously?!" he asked causing his older brother to laugh.

"Yeah, I know for a fact that you have been training with some of mom's Pokémon and that you have battled a lot of the local trainers here, since you'll be going into the Pokémon world a rookie I want to make sure that you are at least able to give some decent commands and keep a cool head." He said.

Luke smiled, "Well, that does sound like fun. I would be all for it, but I don't have any Pokémon." He said. His mother wheeled herself up to where Luke was and placed a hand on his arm.

"Why don't you go ahead and use one of my Pokémon? You've been training with them to keep both them and you more in tuned with your battling skills so it would just make sense that they would listen to you as much as they listen to me." She said causing Luke to smile.

Adam smiled, "Yeah, if it helps, I'll even let you know who you will be battling." Adam said before he took a Pokeball off his belt and threw it into the air, the red and white ball snapped opened and red beam of energy popped out solidifying into one of Adam's most trusted Pokémon. The Pokémon itself was a slouched bipedal werewolf-looking Pokémon with short red fur with white on its lower legs, and a white streak that covers its face, underbelly, and tail. It had pointed, button ears with black tips, three large tufts if fur on each side of its face, a triangular black nose, and a mouth full of sharp teeth. Every part of its eyes were glowing with a pinkish hue while a mane of fur covers its back that sweeps over its head like a crescent. Two small claw-like appendages were on its sides just below the its shoulders and a single stone was placed over its head in front of the mane. Lastly, each paw had three black claws and a stubby tail covered by its fur. The werewolf Pokémon gave off a loud howl as it was released before settling down and looking at the people in attendance. Luke smiled instantly as he recognized the Midnight formed Lycanroc.

"Rocky, I can't believe it's you!" he said happily as he walked over to the werewolf Pokémon and gave him a pet. The Lycanroc seemed to enjoy the attention he was getting from his trainer's younger brother.

"Last time I saw Rocky in person was when you and he had won the championship. I can't believe that even though it was almost 6 months ago he still looks as strong as he did when he first evolved." Luke said. Rocky was Adam's very first Pokémon, he had saved the little pup when he was about to be kidnapped by a group of people called Team Nexus. Nexus was a group that terrorized Tuscero with the belief that the reason all Pokémon existed were to be under the absolute control of all humans. To that extent they even went as far as to steal all Pokémon whether they belonged to trainers or not. Luckily the law would always keep them under wraps, but rumor has it that they had some serious financial backing. But luckily Adam was one of the few people who was able to tangle with them and live and through that he got Rocky.

At that time Adam had still been traveling through the Tuscero League and he had stopped by the family home when Rocky had gone out in the middle of the night and evolved into the Midnight form Lycanroc. It was something that Luke will never forget; the beauty of evolution is something that you need to see to believe.

Adam chuckled at his younger brother, "Yep, Rocky here has been with me from the beginning here in Tuscero to the championship today. It still shocks people when I used Pokémon who weren't native to Sinnoh in my team, but I just like the reaction that they give. So Rocky here is going to be your opponent, who will be your partner?" Adam asked causing Luke to look around at his mother's team. This was going to be a tough fight, so Luke had to think about who he was going up against. Rocky was a pure rock-type, but Luke knew from experience that he could also pull of some serious dark-type and steel-type moves. He needed someone who could take all those and still be able to hold its own with some powerful attacks. Then his eyes landed on one Pokémon and he smiled before walking up to her. The Pokémon itself was a large navy-blue Penguin-like Pokémon with a wide yellow beak that extends upward into a trident shaped crest that encompassed its blue eyes. There was a blue marking that resembled a crown over its eyes and a white, lacy marking running down its chest. A blue fin-like projection forms a collar around its neck and throat and runs down its chest and belly. On its back are two raised, gold bumps and a second blue fin that forms a tail. It had three toes, webbed feet that had feathers above its toes that formed ruffs. Finally, it had wide, flipper-like wings rimmed with blue along the tips with three golden claws on each wing. Empress, his mother's Empolean was one of her most trusted friends and an excellent battler that had some serious battle scars that made her grow into one of the strongest Water types you would find in Tuscero. Luke had even seen it take down a Mega Evolved Swampert with relative ease.  
Luke smiled at the water/steel type, "Hey Empress, you feel like stretching your wings in a battle with my big brother?" he asked.

"Empo!" the Penguin Pokémon roared and jumped up from where she had been sitting down and landed in front of Luke. Luke smiled and petted the Pokémon's beak causing her to coo in appreciation.

Adam let out a loud laugh, "Not a bad choice with Rocky being a rock type but don't think that a type advantage is going to help you beat me bro." he said.

Luke chuckled, "I wouldn't have it any other way Aniki (Big Brother)." Luke said using the nickname that he had given his big brother when he started learning Kantonean."

Luke and Adam had walked over to the large makeshift battlefield that their uncle had made for them when they were younger in their backyard and stood on either side of it with Rocky and Empress looking ready and rearing to go.

The entire family had set up on a pair of stone benches that were in a safe enough area so they wouldn't get hurt.

Rosa stepped forward and put her hand up, "I will serve as the judge in this battle, any objections?" she asked and neither brother had any.

"The battle between the Anders Brothers is about to begin, this will be a one-on-one battle and will end once one sides Pokémon is unable to battle. Are both sides ready?" she asked getting a nod from each brother.

"Then, **Battle Begin!**"

Luke adopted a wide smile as he eyed Rocky, "I need to be careful with my moves, but it won't do me any good to stay on defense. Empress, Aqua Jet!" he shouted.

"Empo!" Empress enveloped herself in a funnel of water and launched herself across the field at Rocky.

Adam grinned, "Not bad bro but not good enough, Accelrock!" he shouted. Rocky was covered in a white glow before he blurred out of sight and collided with Empress in the middle of the field, the two Pokémon gritted their teeth and fangs trying to overpower the other and get the edge.

"Rocky, use crunch!" Adam shouted. The werewolf Pokémon's fangs glowed white and it bit down hard on Empresses' left wing causing her to cry out in pain.

Luke grit his teeth, "Empress, use metal claw to get yourself out of there!" Luke shouted. Empress grit her teeth and glared at Rocky, her wings had gained a metallic sheen to them which morphed into a claw-like shape which she used to bash against Rocky's head to get him to let go, it took several tries as his grip was hard as steel, but she was able to pry him off before giving him another few slashes which knocked him back a few feet. The pain of the crunch had obviously gotten to Empress, but she was able to shrug it off easily enough.

Luke smiled her perseverance, "Nice job Empress, now use Icy Wind!" he shouted.

"Empo!" Empress had taken in a large breath and released it with a burst of frigid air that was launched all over Rocky's side of the field.

Adam smirked, "Rocky, block it!" he shouted. Rocky crossed his arms and took the attack. Rocky grit his teeth as he felt the icy cold hit his body but he stood his ground nonetheless.

Luke smiled, "Ice types moves might not be the most effective against rock-types but it will still be useful to reduce Rocky's speed, time to follow up. Empress, Hydro Pump!" he shouted. A sphere of water had formed in front of Empress' beak and she released the high-powered steam of water at the rock type.

"Rocky dodge it, then use Sucker Punch!" Adam shouted.

"Roc." Rocky moved out of the way of the attack but due to Icy wind's effect he was moving a lot slower than normal. Rocky rushed towards Empress with his claws glowing an ominous black-violet color.

Luke's eyes widened, "Empress, cancel the hydro pump and use Metal Claw to defend yourself!" he shouted. Empress cut off the water and her wings were covered in the metallic sheen once more as she tried to defend from the attack but Rocky was still quick enough to land the attack and send Empress skidding back.

The two brothers eyed each other as their Pokémon took a few deep breaths to ready themselves, they both knew this battle would have to end soon so they each made their moves.

"Metal Claw!" they both shouted. Both of their Pokémon gained the metallic sheen and raced towards each other. They both collided and began to strike each other like two master swordsmen trying to outdo the other with their claws. The should of metal clashing with metal rang through the yard as the battle grew more intense.

Isaiah shook in excitement, "Oooh, this is awesome! The two of them are super strong and they keep going at it!" he said getting an excited nod from his sister.

"I know, it's so hard to tell which one is going to come out the winner!" she said as the both watched the battle with intense eyes.

Adrienne smiled at her nephews, "Those two have really become strong, seems like just yesterday they were playing with plush Pokémon toys dreaming of being trainers." She said looking over to Gene who had tears in her eyes.

"They have both grown up so much." She said wiping her eyes as her friend gently took her hand into her own.

"It's not just the fact that they have grown but I also think this is the way that those two show their love for each other." Stephanie said. The others looked at her with a confused look but when she pointed at the two brothers who both had enormous smiles on their faces as they battled each other.

"I suppose with them the old saying is true, the best way to understand a person is to battle them." She said.

Olivia and Tommy nodded, "In Alola we would usually say this during a fiery battle between two trainers. The fire of Wela Volcano burns brightly in them both." Olivia said with her husband wrapping his arm around her shoulder and kissing her head causing her to smile.

Empress and Rocky were still trying to overpower each other with neither side giving way, Empress began to push back with her claws while Rocky tried to do the same thing. Both Pokémon were striking each other before they collided once more and started to overpower the other. Rocky seemed to be getting the upper edge as he pushed strongly enough to bring Empress down to her knees but that was when Luke got a sneaky idea.

"Empress, close range Hydro Pump!" he shouted

Adam's eyes widened, "Oh shit!" he said.

Empress broke free from the stalemate she was having with Rocky and blasted the rock type with a Hydro Pump right to his face which knocked him all the way over to the other side of the field. The werewolf Pokémon cried in pain from the super effective move but managed to stand up with his fur being completely soaked and an angry look in his crimson eyes.

Adam let out a small chuckle, "Damn bro, I did not see any of this coming. This might be the most energetic battle that I have had in a long time." He said with Rocky agreeing with him by flashing a smile.

Luke laughed, "Same here Aniki, I haven't felt this excited in a long time but don't think I'm going to give up this battle so easily." He said with Empress grunting in agreement.

Adam smirked, "Well let's see if you say that after this, Accelrock!" he shouted. Rocky once again became covered in a white sheen as he sped forward towards Empress.

Luke grit his teeth, "Empress, defend with Metal Claw!" he shouted. Empress let her claws become covered in the familiar metallic sheen as she became battered by the fast and furious attacks from Rocky.

"_I can't let this battle go one like this, Empress won't be able to take any more if I don't this fast." _Luke thought as he continued to observe Rocky's movements. Rocky stopped on the ground and got himself into another ready position and rushed at Empress before repeating the process.

Luke's eyes widened, "_That's it!_" he thought.

Rocky stopped in front of Empress once more with his fangs bearing and his eyes gleaming before he rushed at the large penguin, that was when Luke saw his moment.

"Empress now, use Icy Wind when Rocky gets near you!" Luke shouted. Empress kept her eyes on Rocky and right when the werewolf Pokémon was near her she let loose a large, frost-laced breath right into the Rock type's face. Rocky screamed in pain as the icy breath had covered his body slowly covering it in ice making him stop. Rocky struggled to keep standing as the icy was taking its effect on him.

"Rocky, you okay buddy?" Adam yelled in slight worry. The werewolf stood his ground despite the pain that he was feeling.

Both Rocky and Empress were on their last legs and both brothers could see that, the next attack would settle this but it all depended on who would make it.

"Rocky, Stone Edge!"

"Empress, Aqua Jet!"

Rocky howled loudly and slammed his paw into the ground causing large pillars of stone to arise and charge towards Empress who had enveloped herself in water and launched herself at Rocky. Empress was able to avoid the stone pillars by weaving in and out of them and coming in hot on Rocky.

Adam widened his eyes, "Rocky, Sucker Punch!" he shouted at the last moment. Using the last of his strength covered his paw in the dark energies and swung it at Empress just as she collided with Rocky causing a large dust cloud to erupt covering the entire field. All those in attendance covered their faces and eyes as they waited with bated breath.

When the dust cleared, both Rocky and Empress were lying on the ground clearly knocked out.

Rosa stood with both her arms up, "Both Pokémon are unable to battle, this battle ends in a draw." She said.

Everyone was in complete shock as they saw the two Pokémon on the ground no sounds were uttered for a while until laughing was heard. Over on Luke and Adam's side the two Anders began laughing in complete joy as they processed the ended battle.

"That was freaking Awesome! I haven't had that much fun in a long time, even though my passion for the kitchen is still in my heart I can now say that I am looking forward to battling on my journey!" Luke said as he quickly ran over to his fallen Pokémon.

Adam laughed as he walked over to Rocky, "That was one intense battle bro, you really gave me and Rocky a run for our money." He said as Rocky began to stir and sit up. Luke had helped Empress into a sitting position as she woke up and got her head together. When she looked over at Rocky the two smiled and bumped their respective wing and paw. Luke had reached into his back pocket and grabbed a small circular container and popped out a blue cube shaped treat before handing it to Empress and repeating it with Rocky but gave the Werewolf a brown cube. These were Pokebites, a specially made treat that Luke personally makes that can heal various status conditions for Pokémon. They also were very nutritious and delicious as Luke tailored them for certain types.

Isaiah and Mikayla had run over to the brothers and looked at them with starry eyes.

"That battle was awesome!" Isaiah said.

"Seriously, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!" Mikayla said before the two siblings launched into a long serious of excited battle stances and yells which was quickly stopped as their mother had picked the two of them up in her arms.

"Alright, that's enough from you two but really that was an incredible battle. Looks like incredible battling skills runs in the family as well as being incredibly handsome." She said smirking. The faces of the two brothers grew slightly red with embarrassment as they looked away from their aunt.

Stephanie went over to Luke and gave him a small kiss on the cheek surprising him, "That was great, I knew you had it in you." She said sweetly. Luke's face grew hot as he rubbed the back of his neck and silently thanked the young girl.

Adam let out a loud laugh, "Some things never change, my baby brother still gets flustered when a pretty girl shows him some attention!" he said.

Luke groaned, "Oh you are the last person I want to hear that from. At least it didn't take me 3 weeks to silently observe a, and I quote, "Beautiful, auburn flower," silently from afar until you finally worked up the courage to ask her out." He said making his older brother flush with embarrassment and anger while Rosa giggled.

"Oh, you little shit!" Adam said before he pulled Luke into a choke hold. Luke was surprised but began to fight back as he elbowed his brother in the gut and rolled out of his grab before landing a light chop to the back of his knee brining him down and into a choke hold of his own. The two brothers continued to struggle and wrestle as they usually did when they were together.

"Oh man, there they go again." Rosa sighed as the other family members agreed. Gene looked over at her two sons before growling, she rolled herself over and grabbed onto both of their ears making them both howl in pain.

Tommy smiled, "Oh man, my sister sure knows how to get her point across." He said laughing with his wife.

"That is enough from you two, we are here to celebrate a really great time for Luke and none of your silly brawls are going to ruin that now come on. Its time for cake." She said as she set her wheelchair to its electric mode and rolled away with her sons still in her grasp. The rest of the family just stood there laughing at the scene they were used to seeing.

_Pokémon_

The whole family were back near the house with the last bits of the celebration being enjoyed on the patio. Adam and Luke had been released and were no enjoying a delicious chocolate cake that was filled with a smooth and creamy chocolate mousse and covered in a cookies and cream buttercream which was Luke's favorite. As they enjoyed the cake Isaiah and Mikayla rushed away for a second and ran back up to Luke, each holding a small box in their hand.

"Hey cousin, we got you some presents. Open mine!" Isiah said pushing his box towards Luke.

"No, no open mine first!" she said following her brother's lead. The two began to glare at each other for a while causing Luke to laugh.

He set down his plate and placed a hand on each of his cousin's heads, "Don't worry I'll open both." He said grabbing the boxes from them. He first opened Isaiah's, he unwrapped the ribbon and opened the box. Inside was a pair of black, leather fingerless gloves that were trimmed with a little bit of red. Each glove had a Velcro clasp that he could use to adjust the size and keep them on his hands. On the clasps that would get tied over the top of his wrists, were the words "Champion" in red Italic stitching.

Luke smiled at the gift and placed them in the box on the table, "Grazie, Cugino (Thank you cousin)." He said in their native Tusceran patting Isaiah's head causing the young boy to smile. Luke then took the box that Mikayla was holding and opened it the same way. Inside was a bracelet that seemed to be a collection of black, spherical stones strung on a string that glistened like black diamonds in the lowering light. In the center of the bracelet looked to be a hand carved, wooden head of a rhino-like Pokémon with three large horns painted green and brown like the earth with skin that seemed like it was carved from rock and trees.

Mikayla blushed, "Th-the black stone is onyx, I-it's supposed to protect you and absorb bad feelings you may have and the Pokémon in the center is Beherra, the legendary Pokémon of the Earth. Despite rarely showing up in front of people it is known to be proud, strong, and protects people. Just like you cousin and I'm sure all your future Pokémon will agree." She said. Luke smiled and bent forward to kiss the young girl on her head in thanks

"Grazie, angelo (Thank you angel)." He said causing her blush to deepen. The twins then ran off on a tangent asking Luke who had gotten him the better present but they were quickly silenced by a stern glare from their mother who also happened to have something for Luke. She then placed a large black and grey travel backpack with several zippers and side pockets and looked big enough to hold an entire collapsible bike inside. Luke saw the symbol of a white pyramid with a square headed hammer in the background on the back of it, this was the symbol of the Mason Corporation, the biggest manufacturing company in the Tuscero Region. The company was incredibly powerful and wealthy to the point that it was the number one provider for several services in the Tuscero Region and even rivaled both the Devon and the Silph corporations. The fact that his Aunt had splurged so much on an incredible item was no small feat.

"Now I am not letting my nephew go out on his own journey and not be prepared and look good so I got you this pack and filled it with a few essentials that you are going to need on your journey. Medical supplies, potions, repels, etc. This was way more than Luke had expected but he knew that it was going to help him immensely on his journey.

"Wow, thanks Auntie everything here is seriously going to help me." He said giving his aunt a hug.

Luke looked off to the side and saw Olivia and his uncle walk over to him, with the former nearly tripping over her own feet like she usually did but thankfully was caught by Tommy.

"Here is a little something that will definitely be a trump card in your arsenal as you take on the league." Olivia said gently grabbing Luke's wrist and placed something on it. It was a black and midnight blue bracelet with a sun shape crest on the top of it with a symbol that resembled a Z inside of it. Luke's eyes widened when he saw the accessory that his aunt had placed on his wrist.

"Auntie O, this is a Z-ring! Am I even allowed to have this?" he asked. Luke was well versed in the powerful and destructive Z-moves that were popular among many of the locals in the Alola region due to his visits and talks with his aunt and uncle and while he is ecstatic that she would bless him with one it felt a bit strange considering that he had never done the Alola League or any of the Island Challenges in which trainers would do when they wanted a new Z-Crystal.

Olivia laughed, "While it is a bit unconventional for someone not taking the Island Challenge to have a Z-Ring it is allowed for a an Island Kahuna, such as myself, to bestow one upon a trainer or individual that we believe is worthy of having one, and I cannot think of anyone more worthy to have one than you my adorable nephew. Plus, that's not the only part of this that I am bestowing onto you." She said before she reached into her pocket and pulled out a brown, rhombus shaped crystal with a black image of a boulder in the center of it. She took the crystal and placed it in the slot on the top of the Ring.

"As Kahuna of Akala Island, I Olivia, bestow up you the Groundium Z-Crystal." She said with a smile. Luke could not help but grin like a dork. This was something that not many people outside of Alola were able to see let alone have but he swore that this gift would not go to waste.

"Thank you, Auntie O, this is just incredible. I promise to become a trainer that is worthy of this crystal." He said.

That was when Tommy came over, "And finally, a gift from you're Alolan family." He said and placed two more crystals on the opposite sides of the ring. One was a bright orange with a fiery symbol in the center while the other was a shiny grey with an iron block in the center.

"The orange one is Firium Z while the other one is Steelium Z. They are both gifts from your cousin Kiawe. He said that he wanted you to be prepared for when you go out into the world. I believe he said, "With this let Cousin Luke know, the fires of Wela Volcano are watching over him." The Steel one was an extra one that he had lying around given to him by his friend Sophocles. I guess he wanted you to have it to help make you stronger." He said.

Luke chuckled lightly. His cousin Kiawe was the son of his father's younger brother. Even though Luke did not know anything of his birth father, he had come across the fact that his father had siblings. One of them was a married farm owner in the Alola Region, during a visit to Alola with his mother and brother to see his grandmother he found out about his father brother and his family. While it was awkward at first to meet relatives, he didn't know he had they welcomed him with nothing but kindness and love. His younger cousins Kiawe and Hoshi, instantly took to the older trainer who had helped them in a lot of their daily chores, showing them how to cook with an open fire, and even how to deal with some rowdy Pokémon they found in the wild. He grew very close to his cousins and still kept in contact with them to this day.

"I'm gonna have to thank the little spitfire when I get the chance." He said using the nickname he had given Kiawe when they first met causing his uncle to nod.

Rosa then came over to Luke, "Okay my turn. Now my gift is a little bit of a delayed gift but I think you'll like it." She said. She then pulled out a shrunken Pokeball from her pocket and enlarged it.

"In here is a Pokémon that I have been taking care of for the past few months, I won't tell you what kind it is because I want it to be a surprise but you will only get this Pokémon after you have gotten three other first." She said pulling the Pokeball back into her pocket.

Luke raised an eyebrow, "So that Pokémon will be my fourth?" he asked causing her to nod.

Adam chuckled, "Rosa wanted to give a reliable Pokémon on your journey, so she decided on that one. Even I don't know what it is." He said shrugging.

Rosa rolled her eyes, "That's because you are incapable of keeping a secret." She said causing him to roll his eyes back at her.

Luke laughed, "Okay Nee-san, I will hold you to that." He said. Luke then looked over to his mother and Stephanie as they both had a small box in their hands.

Stephanie smiled, "Now the last gifts are kind of a joint gift, but both are incredibly special in their own ways." Stephanie said handing Luke the colorfully wrapped box in her hands. Luke smiled and took it, he then opened it and what was inside just stunned him, inside was a necklace but no ordinary necklace. It was small enough that it wouldn't be too heavy on Luke but still looked big enough that it could make an impact to whoever saw it. The necklace was a stylized image of a Phoenix-like Pokémon with its beak and talons facing forward while its body was leaning forward at an arc and its wings over its head in a curved arc while its back looked like some kind of holder. It was colored a beautiful shade of gold with its feathers colored an exotic orange with red and yellow tinge. Its five feathered tails were swirled around its body like a protective shawl and its bright yellow eyes seemed to look straight into Luke's soul.

Stephanie smiled a she placed the necklace on Luke, "I asked my mother to make you a special accessory for when you start your journey and she decided to draw inspiration from Igna, the Legendary Pokémon of fire who is said to be the guiding light for many trainers. She said it fit you perfectly and I have to say I agree." She said stepping back to see Luke with the necklace on. The necklace stopped right in the center of his chest and like he thought it was an eyecatcher but wouldn't impede him in anyway. Luke knew that Stephanie's mother was a very successful jewelry designer so this one was not cheap.

Luke smiled and looked to the girl, "It's amazing Steph, I love it." He said hugging the girl before turning to his mother who was holding out a small black box.

"I think you're going to like this one." She said smiling. Luke took the box and opened the lid. Inside the velvet lined box was a small shining stone that took Luke's breath away. The stone seemed to be made of glittering crystal with a smooth surface and in the center of the stone was a black symbol that looked like a DNA strand. It was an exact copy of the Key Stone that his brother currently wore and the one that his mother owned but she hardly ever wore.

"Mom, th-this is." Luke was stunned and the stone and currently could not form any words to even say how happy and shocked he was.

Gene smiled, "My friend Dinah had found an extra Key Stone while she was out exploring with her husband and while the two currently had no children they decided that you having it would be the best option since you're going on a journey. I had to do a little refining to get it the right size but it will still be useful to you on your journey." She said. Luke was in complete awe as he placed the Key Stone in the holder area of his necklace which fit like a glove. He was surrounded by some of the most incredible people he had ever had the pleasure of knowing and they had all given him incredibly gifts that would help him make his dream come true.

Luke smiled and picked up his cup of cola while the others did the rest, "Everyone, I cannot thank you enough. You all have given me so much love and encouragement throughout my life and now with these gifts are just another reason why I love you all. Thank you so much for today and I promise when I head off tomorrow I will make you all proud. Salute, mi familia." He said raising his glass and sipping while the others did the same. This was a night that he will always keep in his heart.

_Pokémon_

"Well, I saw that coming." Luke said. Once Luke had gotten his toast over with things got a little crazier than he expected. His mother and aunt had busted out some serious alcohol and started drinking while Adam and Rosa had joined in, which led to silly dancing, messed up karaoke, and stories that Luke wish he never had heard. Luckily the kids had gone to bed early so they were already knocked out. He had also received a call from Professor Blackstone who would be giving him his starter Pokémon saying that his assistant would be in that area completing an assignment for him so he would be able to pick Luke up and give him a ride to the laboratory. Now it was just Luke and Stephanie who were alone cleaning up and helping the older family members into their beds and guest beds as they had passed out from the alcohol soon after as well. After putting his mother to bed and Steph had tossed out the last bit of trash and made sure the Pokémon were safe and secured , the two teens had plopped themselves on the couch and tired and exhausted.

Luke smiled, "Well that was certainly a hassle." He said laughing.

Stephanie smiled, "Yeah it was, your brother weighs like a freaking mountain." She said.

Luke laughed, "Yeah he does. Good thing he's asleep now." He said seeing a partially empty bottle of wine on the table in front of him.

He took and shook it a bit seeing that there was still a decent amount in it. He looked over to Stephanie who raised and eyebrow.

"Should we?" she asked.

Luke shrugged, "Hey, we all need to make some stupid mistakes every once and a while right?" he said taking a small swig. The minute it touched his tongue he soon started a coughing fit.

"Okay, probably not the best decision I've ever done." He said through coughing. Stephanie looked over at him like he was such a lightweight until she took the bottle, sipped it, and the same thing happened to her.

She coughed once more, "Yeah, that was not as good as I though it would be." She said putting the bottle back on the table.

Luke coughed once more before getting his breathing back in order, "Well, that is one thing I will more than likely never do again. But hey, we all do crazy stuff when we're young right?" he said lying back. Stephanie nodded and looked over at the boy, she did not know if it was the alcohol she just sipped or jut the feeling of being alone with Luke but her body stated to feel hotter and hotter. Since their first time, Stephanie had had a few wild nights with some boys she had met on her travels but none came close to Luke. He was by far the best.

Luke saw Stephanie looking at him, "What's up Steph?" he asked. Instead of responding Stephanie leaned over and pressed her lips to Luke's. Luke was shocked at this but even more when she started crawling into his lap.

Luke broke the kiss, "Whoa Steph, we both agreed that a relationship would not work with us." He said.

Stephanie took his head into her hands and made him look at her, "I know, this is what I want, and I feel. Nothing more. I have missed your taste and your touch and I want to feel it again." She said before she leaned in and kissed Luke again. This time with much more passion, her lips moved all over Luke's and he could feel her tongue sneaking in through his teeth and began to wrestle with his. At first Luke kept himself back, he liked Stephanie but a relation ship between the two of them would not work. But soon enough, he gave in. Hey, he was only human. Luke soon began to kiss Stephanie back, with just as much passion as she had shone him. Their hands began to roam everywhere on each other's bodies, grabbing and pulling at the clothing that they wore. Soon Stephanie broke the kiss so they could both get some much-needed air. Her face was flushed as she tried to get breath back into her lungs as Luke did the same.

She then got off of Luke's lap and stood up, she took him by the hand and quietly led him to his room. The fact that she remembered where his room was kind of surprised him but he didn't want anything to ruin the moment they were having right now. They both entered and Stephanie pinned Luke to the door and attacked his mouth once more. Luke let her have her way while he was busy caressing her body, he wouldn't say it out loud but he missed her body too. He began to take off her button up while and after it was done she kissed him once more but began to take off Luke's shirt as well. Once the sight of Luke's ripped, muscular chest was in her sights Stephanie licked her lips in appreciation and gently nipped and licked at Luke's chest as she moved lower and lower. Once she reached Luke's pants she unbuckled his pants and pulled them and his underwear down revealing his large member to the world.

She sucked in her breath as she saw it with lust filled eyes, this was what she wanted and she wanted it now. She then proceeded to gently lick the entire length of it before taking the whole thing into her mouth and sucked it.

Luke's eyes rolled into the back of his head, he had not really slept with anyone since he and Stephanie had their first time and they were both pretty inexperienced at the time and just let their feelings and basic knowledge lead them. But it was clear that Stephanie had gotten incredibly skilled in her travels and Luke had really liked what she was doing. She gave Luke's member one last suck and pulled out a condom from her bra and placed it on Luke. Standing up and kissing him again. Now it was Luke's turn to be in control, he had all but tore her clothing off till she was as naked as him and he laid her on his bed. He left her lips and began kissing and licking down her body, Luke stopped at her shapely breasts and gave them a quick lick which caused Stephanie to let out a gasp of pleasure. Luke then took the entire nipple into his mouth and sucked on it, repeating the process with both breasts causing even more gasps of pleasure to escape her mouth. Luke then proceeded to kiss his way down her body till he got to her glistening folds between her legs. Luke took a deep breath as he saw how wet she had become and all he could think about was how she tasted.

Luke then took his chance and dipped his head down licked her folds causing her to scream in pleasure. Luke then continued to lick and suck Stephanie as she continued to cry in pleasure, thank god everyone in the house was passed out otherwise there would be a lot of complaints.

"Oh, Arceus Luke, don't stop. Keep going I'm so close." Stephanie gasped out she pushed Luke's head deeper into her which caused him to increase the intensity of his licks. So enough, Stephanie was squirming under Luke's licks and he upped the ante by reaching up and squeezing her nipple which sent her over the edge, causing her to cum over Luke's face.

Luke stopped his assault and let Stephanie come down from her high and get her breathing back in order.

Luke went back up her body to give her another kiss and look her in the eyes.

"Luke, that was amazing. I haven't cummed that hard since our first time." She said kissing him again.

Luke smiled as he broke away, "Well, you are the only woman I have ever made love to so I wanted to make sure that I still had a few skills that would please you." He said. Stephanie smiled and kissed him again. The two then went into another kissing fit before they let all their inhibitions loose and went all in. Stephanie rolled the two of them over till she was on top and quickly speared herself in Luke's member causing them both to cry out in pleasure, she then proceeded to ride Luke. Slow at first but then she got into a steady rhythm and rode him for all he was worth. Luke began to get into it as well and bucked his hips up in time with her movements, placing his hands on her hips and pulling himself up and latched his mouth onto her right breast again causing her to speed up her riding. Luke then flipped their positions till he was on top of her again and began to thrust deep into her. He kissed her neck while she clawed at his back making him go faster and deeper.

"Oh yes, yes Luke! More, give me more, don't stop. Go harder, oh fuck!" she shouted in pleasure as Luke increased his thrusting. After one more hard thrust, Luke kept himself inside Stephanie as she climaxed once more with her back arching as she rolled through the climax again.

Once she had gone through it Luke did something new to him, he flipped Stephanie around till she was on her hands and knees and he was behind her. Luke then thrusted into her as she screamed once more in pleasure and gripped the sheets. Luke was literally like an animal as he fucked Stephanie in that position for a few more minutes till she climaxed three more times.

Luke now had Stephanie on her back once more and was thrusting into her once more while she was rolling through another climax, Luke was getting close himself so he upped his tempo and went faster. When he felt the familiar pulling in his balls he quickly pulled out and went through his own climax which left his body spent and exhausted. He rolled off of Stephanie and laid on the side next to her. The two of them were covered in sweat and were totally spent from the wild sex they just had but they both had wild smiles on their faces as they knew that while this was not going to lead a relationship between the two of them it was definitely something they enjoyed regardless of their situation.

Stephanie slid over to Luke and cuddled up on his side while Luke wrapped her in his arms as they both drifted off to sleep. This was the night before Luke began his dream of becoming champion and the blood, sweat, and tears it would take to get their but for now he was just going to enjoy the moment he was in right now.

_To Be Continued…_


	2. Chapter 2

Pokémon: Tuscero Triumph

Chapter 2: The First Family Member

The morning sun rays peaked through the windows of Luke's room right into his eyes. At first, he was going to ignore them until he remembered what the day was, the day his destiny begin. He was about to jump out from his bed until he turned his head to see Stephanie curled up next to him, arm slung over his chest, sleeping like an angel with her chest just barely rising and falling as she breathed in and out. The memories of last night soon flooded Luke's mind making him smile, the woman definitely knew what she was doing and that night was certainly not going to be one that he would forget. Luke gently removed her arm and slowly got out from under his blankets and off his bed, the young woman groaned slightly before she rolled over and pulled the blankets up closer to her chest while she continued to sleep.

Luke sighed then smiled, he needed to get ready and even though he didn't want to be one of those guys that slept with a woman and ran out the next morning today was really important to him and he was sure that Stephanie wouldn't mind him getting ready. Luke smiled, now was the time to get everything in motion. He slowly walked out of his room and into the bathroom while everyone was still sleeping off the festivities and possible hangovers from the night before. Luke took his shower quickly, wrapped himself in a towel, and crept back to his room where he saw Stephanie still sleeping, which was as good sign. He really did not want to wake her up. Luke then proceeded to his closet to gather his clothes for his journey until he saw a large wrapped box on the desk in his room. Luke went over to the box and saw that it was wrapped rather lazily but with care and love with a simple green bow on it and a card attached.

Luke picked up the card and read it,

_Hey bro, _

_I hope this gift doesn't come too late. I wanted to give you a little bit of something from Sinnoh. I saw it in a store window, and it made me think of you. I hope you like the style because I got it approved by mom and you know she has good taste. Good luck on your journey. _

_ From: Adam_

Luke smiled as he put down the card, Adam must have placed the box in his room without him knowing before the party started last night. Either way, it warmed his heart knowing his big brother was still looking out for him in his own way. Luke opened the box carefully and looked inside it, what met his gaze was a symbol he didn't know but it made him smile even more.

A few minutes later and Luke was standing in front of his mirror dressed in his new clothes, just as Stephanie was waking up. Luke turned to the young woman while she yawned and rubbed her eyes. She instinctively pulled the covers over her chest area to keep them from sight as her eyes adjusted fully to see Luke in his new outfit.

He smiled, "So, how do I look?" he asked. He was now dressed in a pair of dark blue faded jeans, with a stylish studded belt that had notches for when he would get Pokeballs and a pair of dark brown hiking boots that he could feel were steel toed but were insanely comfortable. Over his chest he wore a long sleeved, lightweight, black henly shirt with his Igna necklace and Key Stone placed inside it centered over his chest, a red and black flannel shirt that was currently unbuttoned over it, and finishing it off was a dark brown leather jacket with stylish stitching all over it with a symbol of a stylized image of Zekrom, with its head and wings together pointing up, on the back. Luke finished off his look with the gloves from Isaiah, the bracelet from Mikayla on his right wrist, his new, personalized, Z-ring on his left, and his new derby cap on his head. His new backpack he had lying next to his feet.

Stephanie smiled, "You look incredible." She said. Luke smiled as he turned back to the mirror and made sure he was ready for his journey.

"Are you nervous?" Stephanie asked.

Luke chuckled, "I am but more than anything I am excited. I cannot wait to see what the region has to offer me." He said grabbing his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder before walking over to Stephanie.

She smiled, "Well, I know that whatever you do you will be amazing. You become Champion and I will become Top Coordinator. Deal?" she said holding her pinky out.

Luke chuckled, "Deal." He said wrapping his pinky with hers.

"Luke, come on down and have some breakfast before the professor's aid gets here!" he heard his mother shouting.

Luke smiled, "Coming mom!" he shouted. Luke then bent down and gave Stephanie a quick and sweet kiss on the lips before he left his room. Stephanie smiled to herself as Luke left.

"See you soon, champion." She said before laying back down and drifting off to sleep again. She was not a morning person.

Luke walked down the steps of his home to see his mother, his aunt Adrienne, his cousins, and his older brother sitting down in various places. The younger kids were sitting at the dinner table looking fresh as ever but the adults were looking at little worse for wear, rough mornings usually follow good nights.

His cousins saw him come down the steps fully dressed and shot out of their seats, they ran over to meet Luke at the bottom of the steps and looked up at him with star filled yes as they observed every part of his new trainer outfit.

"Luke, you look awesome!" Isaiah said as he ran around his cousin.

Mikayla nodded her head, "You really do, you already look like a champion." She said latching onto Luke's arm. Luke smiled at his cousin's antics. No matter what time of day it was they still had more energy than he did combined.

Luke laughed and picked up Isaiah by his shirt and lifted his arm up bringing Mikayla with him, "Easy kids, not a champion yet but at least I can look the part." He said walking over to the table and setting the kids down. Luke sat at the table and the kids did as well.

Aunt Adrienne groaned, "Ugh, why do you have to be so loud?" she complained as she laid back down on the couch.

Luke laughed, "Well it serves you guys right, you all said you were planning on getting up early enough to see me off but as soon as the wine got broken out those thoughts went right out the window. No wonder everyone else is still asleep." He said leaning back in his chair. Adrienne groaned and out her arm over her eyes. Luke knew a lot of his family members didn't drink a whole lot but when they did they usually didn't get up until very late the next morning the only exception was his mother and brother who had somehow built up a decent enough tolerance to alcohol they didn't suffer the same way. Which is why they were really the only ones that were fully awake.

Luke's mother wheeled herself over to the table and placed plates in front of the him and his cousins, when she did he smiled when he saw what his mother had served them. On the plate were three slices of piping hot French toast made form homemade brioche, scratch made sausage and a nice fruit salad. The bread and sausage were made by Luke but the way his mother could put it together always brought a smile to his face. He could study for years to be an incredible chef but when it came to breakfast his mother beat him by a mile.

His mother smiled, "A little taste of home before you leave." She said with a smile and small kiss on Luke's cheek. Luke smiled happily and dug into the food. It was every bit as delicious as he remembered, the French toast was cooked to a beautiful golden brown with just the hit of crisp on the edge of it and the subtle taste of cinnamon and vanilla permeated through his mouth. He then took a bit of syrup, again homemade, and a bit of the sausage and took a bit with a bit of everything. The combination of sweet, salty, and slight spice tickled every part of his taste buds, brining back happy memories of his childhood.

Luke and the kids didn't say a single thing as they dug into their food, while everyone sat around them sighing. Since they were the youngest it made sense that all three of them had some pretty big appetites.

Adam laughed as he was used to the scene, "So Luke, you decide what Pokémon you plan on getting for your starter?" he asked.

Luke downed some orange juice and got his air back but before he spoke the kids interrupted.

"I think you should go with Godro; those Pokémon are awesome whether its land or sea and just look so badass when the fully evolve!" Isaiah shouted with a mouth full.

"Isaiah Reginald Dalton, watch your language!" His mother shouted from her lying down position. Isaiah immediately shrunk down at his mother's voice.

Mikayla laughed, "Well I think it should be Geodillo that he chooses, they are so cute when they roll around in their shell! Plus they look like little rocks, which is even cuter!" she squealed.

Luke chuckled as he finished his breakfast, "Well you both make some interesting points but I don't know who I'm going to choose. I want to meet my first Pokémon in the eyes and make sure that they actually like me so that we can get along on our journey. Then if I can get them to like me then I'll be able to get the other Pokémon I meet on my journey to like me even more." He said.

Gene chuckled, "Well that is true but just remember the most important part of being a trainer Luke." She said getting Luke to nod.

"When getting a new Pokémon, regardless of how it happened, treat them like family. No matter what trials we go through, whether its win or loss, success or failure, pain or happiness, we will always be family. And no matter what happens that will never change, that is the Anders way of being a trainer." He said getting his family to nod. No matter where he would go, Luke would always remember the ways of his family and what they taught him. His journey was about to begin and he would be ready but for now he was going to enjoy his food.

After breakfast was over, Luke and his family, minus Adrienne as she was still nursing her hangover on the couch, were waiting outside his house for the Professor's aide to come and pick Luke up. While they were waiting, Mikayla and Isaiah began to break down in tears.

Luke smiled gently at his cousins and knelt to their level; he spoke to Mikayla first while wiping the tears from her face.

"Come now angelo, there is no reason for tears. They don't suit your beautiful face." He said getting her to wipe her tears quickly.

Luke then turned to Isaiah, "Now Isaiah, there is no reason for you to cry either. There are only certain times when a man cries and seeing someone off on their journey is not one of them." He said. Isaiah nodded and wiped the tears from his face before adopting a semi-strong look so he could appear strong in front of his cousin.

Luke smiled and stood up so he could look at his mother and brother, "Mom, Adam, I can't thank the both of you enough. You've always given me as much love and support I could ever ask for and the lessons that you've taught me I will always remember as I make my dreams come true." He said being down to kiss and hug his mother.

"You are going to do great bubby." She said quietly calling Luke by the childhood name that she refused to give up even though he was older.

Luke stood back up and looked over at his brother who smirked before pulling his brother into a tight man hug, "You got this baby brother. Show this region what the Anders can do." He said breaking the hug. Luke nodded in agreement before as the sound of a honking horn got the attention of everyone.

As they all turned a silver, almost chrome, colored jeep was pulling into the driveway and stopped in front of the house. The driver of the jeep hoisted himself up over the open top and looked out over everyone. The driver was a young man in his mid-twenties with deep tan skin and long black hair that was pulled into a tight ponytail. He had brown eyes that shined with enthusiasm as he looked at the family, he was dressed in a bright blue floral print shirt with red flowers plastered all over it and tan, cargo shorts. He had a pair of black sunglasses on his head and a beaded bracelet on his left wrist and from what Luke could see there seemed to be a ring.

The aide waved, "High everyone, I'm Professor Cypress' aide Francisco Ramos. I'm here to pick up Luke Anders." He said happily. Luke grinned widely as he ran over to the jeep.

"That would be me." He said.

Francisco nodded at him, "Yeah, should have guessed from the cool threads, well what are you waiting for? Hop in, we got a Pokémon to get you." He said sitting back down. Luke threw his backpack into the back seat and jumped into the front seat, not bothering to open the door. Francisco revved the gas and turned away from the house and onto the main road.

With his childhood home still in view Luke stood up and turned around waved at his family, "Bye everyone, I promise I'm gonna make all of you proud!" he shouted as they waved back at him. Luke back down and smiled, as his family home faded from view soon followed by his hometown, he knew that while he was sad about leaving his home behind what was ahead of him just made him feel like he was king of the world.

As Luke left his mother smiled as she wiped the tears from her eyes, "He is going to be incredible." She said.

Adam chuckled, "No mom, he is going to be the best. The best champion this region has ever seen." He said with a proud look on his face.

_Pokémon _

Francisco drove down the main road that led out of Janus and towards one of the biggest cities in Tuscero, Minerva City. The drive wouldn't be long, so Luke was just enjoying himself as he watched the trees fly by and the various Pokémon ran through the forests and fly in the skies. The dirt road soon gave way to pavement as Francisco looked over at Luke with a grin.

"So, you excited about your first Pokémon?" he asked.

Luke nodded, "Hell yeah I am! I've been waiting for this moment for a long time and I'm so glad that I can finally make it happen. This journey is going to be amazing!" he said excitedly.

Francisco laughed, "I hear that. By the way, how come you didn't go on a journey at 14 like everyone else did? The Professors said you were busy with something, but I wasn't really paying attention." He said shrugging.

Luke chuckled, "Well while I always wanted to go on a journey, I also always wanted to be a chef. When I was 9, I competed in a cooking competition and won, due to that I was scouted by Siebold from Kalos. I had already known who he was since I followed a lot of chefs and when he said that he saw major potential in me and wanted to personally train me to be a chef I jumped at the chance. I then spent three years with him in the Kalos region learning everything I could about cooking from him; he even took me to Unova where I met the Striaton City Gym leaders who were chefs as well. I learned from them as well about various berries, herbs, and medicinal plants that could be both edible for humans and Pokémon. I learned so much about food and Pokémon from them that the years just flew by. When I turned 15, I came back to Tuscero and met with a few other chefs who taught me a lot about my home region I didn't even know about, then I came back home and joined Drake's and just stayed there." He said.

Francisco nodded, "Wow, you have had a full life little dude. So, you never really thought about getting a Pokémon during your travels overseas?" he asked as he drove over a bridge that was over a small lake.

Luke hummed, "Well I know I wanted a Pokémon, but I guess it just felt wrong that the first Pokémon I was going to get wasn't from my home region. I guess I wanted to honor my home in that regards." He said. Francisco nodded in understanding. The rest of the drive was filled with similar stories from both young men, some car karaoke, and some Pokémon identification. Luke then found out that Francisco, or Cisco as he preferred to be called, was indeed married to a wonderful young woman who was currently working as a student under the Khione City gym leader learning about the abilities and types of Ice types while he worked as a field worker for the Professors in Minerva City.

Luke looked at Cisco, "Hey Cisco, you keep saying Professors. Does Tuscero have more than one?" he asked.

Cisco raised an eyebrow, "You don't know? Tuscero has two region Professors, Professor Rose and Professor Cypress. They are both married and share then name Cypress whereas Rose is the Professor's first name. You'll be able to meet both, sooner than you might think." He said. Luke turned his head to see the entrance to the city and when they passed the city gate his eyes widened. He had only ever been to Minerva once of twice, but he never knew that the city was so big. Minerva was a sprawling Metropolis with skyscrapers and buildings that went on for as long as the eye could see. Shops, businesses, and restaurants were littered along the sidewalks and People and their Pokémon were walking around in total happiness. Luke even saw a battle between to trainers, one using a Gengar while the other was using a Dewott.

Luke leaned back in his seat as he continued to look at the entire city as the drove passed it, "Minerva City is one of the biggest cities in Tuscero, rivaling Odin City as the second largest in the region. Once you get to Odin, you'll be even more surprised at the size of the city." Cisco said as he pulled up to the front of a large stone building. The building itself was two large stories with a large curved gate in the front with a Pokeball symbol on the top. Several windows were on the front of the building and a large stone door stood in the center of the wall and several bird Pokémon perched themselves on the top of the terracotta shingle roof.

Luke got out of the jeep and grabbed his backpack; Luke had never really seen the Pokémon lab itself but the way it looked on the outside it was just incredible to look.

Noticing that Luke was glued to the spot in front of the lab, Cisco went over and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Let's get you a Pokémon." He said happily. Luke smiled and nodded as he followed Cisco to the front door where he opened it and allowed Luke to enter. As Luke entered he saw that he interior of the lab was actually pretty homey. A large staircase that had a velvet carpet draped over it was placed in the center of the room and a few marble columns were placed around the main area along with a few simple, yet tasteful pictures of trainers and their Pokémon were placed on the walls around them.

"Huh, the outside of this place looks a little imposing but inside is pretty homey and calm." Luke said as he followed Cisco down one of the hallways.

Cisco nodded, "Yeah, Professor Rose's mother is an interior designer so she designed this place to be a warm, welcoming spot when trainers come to get their Pokémon and to make them feel comfortable." He said as he continued walking. Luke continued to look around the lab which was still welcoming in a way but surprisingly void of people.

Luke turned to Cisco, "Hey Cisco, are you the only aide here in the lab? There doesn't seem to really be any other people here." He asked.

Cisco clasped his hands behind his head, "Well it really is just me, the Professors, and two other aides but they are off on their own assignments around Tuscero. Since I'm back from my assignment I will be holding down the fort here till the others get back." He said. Luke nodded and was about to ask what his assignment was about but before he could a bright blue light surrounded him and lifted him off his feet.

Luke looked down as he slowly rose off the ground, "What the hell?!" he shouted as he was soon flung forward at an intense speed.

Cisco cursed, "Shit, not again." He said as he ran after Luke.

Luke was soon brought to a large open room with a bunch of machines and a window that led into a large, open greenhouse-like area that had various Pokémon running around. But Luke couldn't really admire anything that was around him as he was lifted higher and higher until he was suddenly spun upside down.

Luke screamed in annoyance. "What the hell is happening?! Someone please get me down from here!" he shouted as he began to spin rapidly while still in the air.

"Oh, sweet Arceus! Chimecho, put him down this instance!" a female voice said. Since Luke was still spinning he couldn't see who said it but soon after the spinning stopped but he was still upside down. The glow around him faded and he began to fall to the ground causing him to scream again. But before he became a human pancake he was surrounded by another blue glow which caused him to stop then gently placed him on the ground.

Luke let out a relived sigh as he flopped onto his back, "Oh thank Arceus. What the hell was that?" he asked aloud as he tried to get his breathing back in order. He was soon met with the face of a small round Pokémon with a mischievous looking smile on his face. Luke stood back up, gently as his head still spun, and saw the Pokémon itself. The round Pokémon was bluish white and looked like a wind chime. A long, tag-like tail extended from its lower body and a yellow suction cup was connected to the top of its head. Its beady yellow eyes looked at Luke for a moment before it let out a hysterical laugh from Luke's episode.

Luke sighed, "Oh so it was you huh? Well aren't you a little prankster?" he said causing it to laugh again.

"I'm so sorry about that. Chimecho loves to play pranks on people but it doesn't mean any harm." The female voice from before said. Luke turned around and saw who the voice belonged to. The woman was a lovely, black skinned lady in her early thirties with long black hair that reached her shoulders with bright green eyes behind a pair of stylish black, square-rimmed glasses. She wore a pink blouse with ruffles on the neckline and chest with a black pencil skirt and black high heels with a wedding ring on her left hand. Standing beside her was a bipedal, pig-like Pokémon with large ears, a pink snout, and oval eyes. The lower half of its body is black while the upper half was purple. Black markings were on its ears and arms while its hands and feet were purple and it had a tail that pink and curly. Two small, black pearls were on its head and a larger one was on its midsection where the black and purple met. The Pokémon was a Grumpig and it went over to Luke to make sure that he was okay.

"Grum, Grum." It said looking Luke over.

Luke smiled and petted the Psychic pig on its head, "I'm okay buddy. Thanks for catching me before I hit the floor." he said.

Grumpig raised its arms above its head, "Grumpig!" it said happily.

Luke then turned to the woman, "Don't worry about the whole thing ma'am. While I'm not too happy about it I know the little guy didn't mean any real harm." He said petting Chimecho on its head.

The woman sighed, "Oh thank you. Most trainers aren't so forgiving. You must be Luke correct? My name is Rose Cypress, one of the Professor's here at this lab." She said holding her hand out which Luke took and shook it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Professor, yes I am Luke and I'm here to get my first Pokémon." Luke said happily.

Rose smiled, "Well I can see you are excited about this and I can understand why. Well Luke, Welcome to Cypress Labs! The place where dreams begin, and lifelong bonds are formed!" She said holding her arms out wide in a dramatic flourish. Luke just looked at her like she was just weird while her Pokémon just stood there shaking their heads.

A deep laugh was heard from the entrance of the room causing Luke to turn, Walking into the room was an older man the same age as Rose but with white skin that had light tan with short brown hair that was in a messy texture but was still stylish. The man himself was handsome with boyish good looks and bright blue eyes behind a pair of round glasses. His lithe body was dressed in a long-sleeved scarlet shirt with some yellow trimming on the neck and chest and black slacks with matching shoes. He also had a wedding band on his ring and a Z-ring on his wrist but with a black crystal on the top. Walking beside him was Cisco, who looked relieved Luke was okay, and two More Pokémon. The first was an incredibly large, bipedal dinosaurian Pokémon with green armor like skin covering its entire body with two pointed teeth poking up and down from its jaws respectively and several spikes all around its body were protruding outward. On both sides of its chest, the center of its back, and its knees it had two triangular shaped holes and a gray, diamond shaped patch of scales covering its belly and smaller on its back. Three claws were on its feet and hands and a ring of spikes surround the tip of its tail.

The other was a smaller Pokémon, small enough to where it was riding on the shoulder of the dinosaur Pokémon. It was a bipedal, weasel-like Pokémon with a pale grey body that had several feathery areas, It had a bright red crown and collar made of feathers and a single feather on each ear. On each paw were two tail feathers and three claws and a yellow, oval marking was on the center of its forehead. It had red eyes with three eyelashes and four fangs that protruded from its upper jaw.

Luke gasped as he saw the Pokémon walk in, "Wow, a Tyranitar and a Weavile. I've never seen either of these Pokémon up close before." He said reaching his head forward to stroke Tyranitar's snout to which the Pokémon growled slightly in appreciation. Luke then moved to the Weavile who looked at him strange but allowed him to scratch under his chin which the weasel Pokémon seemed to love.

The man raised an eyebrow, "Wow impressive." He said.

Luke looked over at him, "I'm sorry?" he said.

The man laughed, "Most people are either too scared of Tyranitar to approach him or to apprehensive of Weavile to get near it. You just took the plunge and showed both some affection." He said as Luke backed away from the two Dark types.

"Well, until a Pokémon actually tries to kill me I see no reason to fear it." He said smiling.

The man nodded, "You have a good head on your shoulders young man. You must be Luke, I'm Joseph Cypress. Pleasure to meet you."

Luke smiled, "The pleasure is all mine Professor." He said as the two men shook hands.

Cisco gave Luke a thumbs up before heading off to go and do something the Professor needed him for.

Professor Cypress clasped his hands together, "So how about we get you a Pokémon?" he said getting Luke to nod eagerly. The two Professors and their Pokémon took Luke over to a small door which led to the greenhouse-like area he saw before.

"So Professors, what exactly do you both do here other than giving trainers their Pokémon?" Luke asked.

Professor Cypress spoke first, "Well I actually study the bond between humans and Pokémon and how it can benefit both societies. I believe that like in the days of old, Pokémon and humans both grow as a species by living and surviving by helping one another. Together, we can take each other to much greater heights and make our planet an even greater place then it is today." He said joyfully.

Luke stared at the male Professor, "Wow." He said.

Professor Rose giggled, "I in a way take that methodology a step further and study the environments and living conditions of Pokémon and how the either change or remain the same when they encounter Humans. I look to see whether or not Pokémon experience change in diet, personality, even appearance and collect the data that comes from that to see if Pokémon and humans can advance as species." She said as she wrapper her hands around her husband's arm causing him to smile.

Luke nodded, "I can see what you mean, I actually became a region certified nutritionist so that I could develop food that could help Pokémon increase their status conditions and be nutritional and delicious for them. I cook for humans for the same reason just not always healthy foods for them since I like to make some pretty indulgent foods." He said getting the Professors to laugh. Luke then reached into his backpack and pulled out four Pokebites, two that were a deep violet while the others were a dark shade of pink. Luke held out the violet ones to Tyranitar and Weavile while giving the pink ones to Chimecho and Grumpig.

"Here you go guys, a nice little treat for all of you." He said. Chimecho and Weavile snatched one of the respected colors while Tyranitar and Grumpig gently took them from Luke's hands. The Pokémon ate the Bites and cheered in appreciation at the taste of them.

Luke smiled, "I'm glad you like them." He said as he caught up with the Professors.

Professor Rose raised her eyebrows, "What was that item you just gave them?" she asked curiously.

Luke beamed, "Pokebites, my own creation that are delicious to Pokémon and help them raise their status conditions." He said showing her a small container of his dark type Pokebites.

The Professor examined the container, "How did you make them?" she asked.

"Similar to Pokeblock, I use various types of herbs and berries as bases but I also had small additions of potions, antidotes, and elixirs that aid in various situations until I find the right mixture. It is a bit of a tedious process but the result is worth it." He said proudly.

The group entered the area and Professor Rose took a small bite and placed it in her mouth, "Incredible, I can taste the various berries and herbs as well as the various potions that are incorporated into the mix itself. This is amazing Luke! Do you mind if I have the recipe for this? I think this would be very beneficial to my research." She asked.

Luke nodded, "Please be my guest. It would be amazing if these Pokebites could get some more popularity." He said causing the female Professor to smile.

Professor Cypress laughed, "Okay okay, well with that bit of business out of the way I think its time for us to really get down to the real meaning of what we're all here for. And that is to get Luke his very first Pokémon." He said as they entered the greenhouse area. The place was covered in lush green grass with a large lake placed right in the center of the entire area. Several different trees littered the area with their tops and leaves creating a canopy area that offered just enough shade and sunlight to peak through. Pokémon of all types littered across the area, some were flying above their heads, some swam in the lake, and other ran through the trees and along the grass.

Luke gasped in surprise at the sight he saw, "This place is incredible! How in the name of Arceus did you both get a place like this inside your laboratory?" he asked as he petted some Linoone and Zigzagoon that came up to him.

Professor Cypress chuckled, "You might be surprised by this Luke, but I actually come from a construction background." He said shocking the young man.

"Really?" Luke asked.

Cypress nodded, "Yeah, my entire family works in the construction industry and I grew up in the industry as well. However, from an early age I was always fascinated with Pokémon. I wanted to learn more about them and discover what made them what they were. So, I took a plunge and began studying under Professor Sycamore in the Kalos region when I turned 15. My family was a bit shocked but they supported me nonetheless. Soon enough I became the Professor of this region along with my lovely wife who I met when I moved back here and we opened this lab. Thanks to my family's connections I was able to create this incredible paradise for all the Pokémon that my lab finds and nurses back to health. Everything here is real and gives the Pokémon the type of environment they need to grow." He said.

Luke smiled, "Professor this is incredible. You truly are an amazing person." He said.

The Professor laughed heartily, "Well thank you Luke. Now how about you meet your first partner?" he said raising an eyebrow.

Luke nodded vigorously, "Yes please, I have waited so long for this moment!" he said with stars in his eyes.

The two Professors nodded, and both let out a shrill whistle. The whistle itself didn't seem to bother the Pokémon much but Luke soon saw movement in several areas around him.

A canine-like Pokémon came out from the forest area while a goat-like Pokémon came up from the lake and finally a shelled, armadillo-like Pokémon came up from the ground a few feet away from the group. All three Pokémon came over to where the three were and waited patiently to hear what they had to say.

Professor Rose spread her arms wide as she stood behind the three Pokémon, "Allow me to introduce the Tuscero Region starter Pokémon, Wolen, The fire-type, Godro, the water-type, and finally Geodillo, the grass-type."

"Wo!

"Godro!

"Geo!"

The three Pokémon stood in front of Luke, each unique and special in their own ways, so much so that just by being near them Luke felt that each had the potential to be champions and crouched down to their eye level to make out their features better.

Wolen was a Pokémon resembling a wolf pup but with its primary fur color being red with shades of orange and black mixed in. He was a quadruped with the fur on its lower legs being black and having three small claws that sprouted from its three paws. Its tail was primarily black with streaks of red, orange, and yellow while its head was wolf shaped with two fangs jutting down from the top jaw and two jutting up from the bottom and its head was red. A small tuft of fur sprouted up from its head and was swept back rather stylishly, almost like a fluttering flame. Its bright blue eyes looked at Luke with anticipation and curiosity.

Godro was a quadruped goat-like Pokémon with the top of its fur being a dark blue color with a white underbelly and black hooves. On the sides of its neck Luke could make out two sets of gills on both sides of its neck and a set of small fins are placed on the back of their legs. Its head was goat shaped with furry ears and small curved horns, just barely visible, poking out from the top of its head. A small, blue and white tail swished back and forth in happiness and its adorable yellow-brown eyes shined as it looked at Luke.

Finally, Geodillo was quite an adorable little creature. It was a mammalian Pokémon with green skin that had a bit of a rough texture and a dark brown shell on its back that seemed like it was made of rock and bark. It had four, small, trunk-like legs that had three small claws sprouting from each one. Its small armadillo-like head poked out from its shell rather timidly and its pointed green and brown ears darted in different directions as if it was listening for something to happen while a think pink, rocky-like tail sprouted from behind it and its dark brown eyes looked at Luke curiously but again rather timidly.

Luke smiled at the small starters in front of him, "They all have great potential and I know they would be great for any trainer to have as a partner. Damn, this is going to be harder than I thought."

Professor Cypress chuckled reached into his pocket and pulled something our for Luke to see, "Maybe this will help." He said. Luke took the item from him and looked it over. It was a bit thick but still small enough to fit into Luke's hand. It reminded Luke of a smartphone but a but skinner with a large screen in the center and projector on the top of it and a camera object on the back.

"This is the Tuscero Region Pokedex, with this you can observe various Pokémon in the region and get information on them. Just point the identifier on the back at a Pokémon and it will give you the information on that particular Pokémon." Professor Cypress said.

Luke smiled, "Sweet, thanks Professor." He said and pointed the Pokedex at Wolen.

The device then released a holographic image of the Pokémon from the projector on top while the screen displayed all its additional information.

_**Wolen, the fire cub Pokémon. These Pokémon live in packs led by the strongest of their final evolution form and have a strict code of loyalty and honor between each other. To test their strength as Wolen, two cubs will battle each other in a skirmish to not only prove their strength but gain knowledge from each other. Wolen will also never face an injured or weaker opponent they believe would be an easy win. **_The Pokedex said in a robotic, male voice.

__Luke nodded, "A true warrior to the end huh." He said before moving onto Godro.

_**Godro, the water lamb Pokémon. These Pokémon are known as both fast swimmers and runners due to their hooves, fins, and gills. While these Pokémon do not have horns yet, their skulls are incredibly hard and dense to the point that they can break small amounts of ice apart while swimming at their top speed. Regardless of warm or cold temperatures, Godro's fur can accommodate their body temperature to what they need. **_

__Luke nodded, "Interesting." He said before finally moving to Geodillo.

_**Geodillo, the stone roller Pokémon. These Pokémon disguise themselves as rocks and blend in with the trees around them to avoid predators and to find comfortable places to sleep. These Pokémon will often roll themselves inside their shells and roll around to not only move but to casually play with others as their shells are about as hard to break as mountain rock. These Pokémon tend to be rather shy, resorting to hiding or rolling into their shells to avoid eye contact. **_

__Luke smiled, "Well aren't you cute." He said petting the small armadillo who seemed to like the attention he was given.

Luke stood back up and crossed his arms, "So they all have their quirks but I actually like that about Pokémon, it makes them unique but finding my first partner might take a bit more of a connection." Luke then nodded to himself and kneeled back down to the Pokémon's eye level. Luke then closed his eyes and held his hand out with the palm facing towards them. Luke didn't think, didn't move, and didn't see anything. He left the choice up to the Pokémon, if one of them wanted to be his partner and his friend he would leave that choice up to them. A few seconds passed and even the Professors were beginning to wonder what Luke was thinking but then it happened.

Luke felt a soft texture press up against his hand, causing him to open his eyes. Luke smiled when he saw Wolen nuzzling up against his hand, so he decided to return the affection by scratching under the wolf pup's chin which caused him to howl in happiness. Luke stopped his scratching and placed a hand on the Wolen's head. Its fur was warm to the touch and Wolen looked at Luke with its bright blue eyes.

Luke nodded, "Well that settles that. What do you say Wolen, want to be my partner?" he asked. Even though Wolen decided to come up to Luke on its own he didn't want it to do anything it didn't want to do.

Wolen smiled brightly revealing its few, sharp teeth in its mouth, "Wolen!" it said before jumping onto Luke's outstretched arm and ran up to his shoulder. It the proceeded to nuzzle its face up against Luke's face.

"I'll take that as a yes." Luke said chuckling.

The Professor's were quite surprised, "I must say, that was as a rather interesting way of choosing your partner." Professor Cyprus said.

Luke nodded as he stood up, "Well, I wanted to be sure that my first Pokémon would choose me as their trainer not the other way around. I feel that our connection will be deeper if my Pokémon chose me. Plus, it actually helps since I didn't know which Pokémon I wanted when I came here." He said laughing.

Professor Rose giggled, "Well it seems that your plan worked in your favor. I hope you treat Wolen well." She said.

Luke nodded, "Absolutely, my Pokémon are my family. Simple as that." He said scratching Wolen once more under its chin.

Professor Rose nodded, "By the way dear, wasn't there supposed to be another trainer coming here to get their first Pokémon today?" she asked her husband.

Professor Cypress pursed his lips in thought, "I do believe you are right love, but it seems that she won't be joining us today." He said.

"WAIT!" a female voice shouted from behind the trio. They all turned their heads to see a figure dressed in black and purple rush into the green house area. She stopped in front of the trio and put her hands on her knees as she breathed in and out hard.

"I'm…here…to…get…my…first…Pokémon." She said as she breathed out each word. Now that she was in front of Luke, he could finally see what she looked like. She appeared around his age albeit probably a year younger than he was with long black hair that had streaks of purple going through it with a black and blue fedora on her head that had six pins of various Pokémon. When she stood up Luke could see she was around 5'7 with a pretty well defined body that had a nice amount of curves and a well developed chest. Her eyes were a vibrant shade of cerulean that stood out with her relatively pale skin. She had on some tasteful makeup with black eyeliner that made her eyes shine more and some simple red lipstick. The young woman was dressed in a long-sleeved, black t-shirt that showed off her midriff with a short black leather jacket with purple and blue designs over it. She wore blue jeans that were torn on the knees and black high tops. She finished off her look with a small purse she had slung over her shoulder and a single black leather glove over her right hand. All in all she was a very lovely woman albeit out of breath.

Professor Rose smiled, "Ah, Miss Deveraux. We are glad to see that you could make it. We were beginning to wonder whether or not you were going to make it." She said walking over to the young girl.

"Yeah, sorry. My dad had me taking care of some stuff at the store so I couldn't come when I wanted to." She said as she tried to get her breathing back in order. Luke chuckled at the young girl and reached into his backpack to pull out a spare water bottle and handed it to her.

"Here, it looks like you could use this." He said with a smile.

The girl smiled gratefully, "Thank you so much." She said taking the water and downing it in one go.

'_I'm going to have to stock up on some more water before I leave the city.' _Luke thought.

The girl finished the bottle and wiped her mouth, "Ahh, now that hit the spot. Thanks again for that dude. Krystal Deveraux, nice to meet you." She said holding her hand out.

Luke smiled and shook her hand, "Luke Anders, likewise." He said breaking their handshake. Krystal looked over at Luke's shoulder and saw that Wolen was already perched comfortably on his shoulder.

"Well it seems that I was a little too late since I'm guessing that Wolen on your shoulder is your starter?" she asked.

Luke smiled at Wolen and nodded, "That's right, Wolen here has accepted me as its trainer and I could not be happier than to have it as a member of my family." He said causing Wolen to nuzzle his head against the side of Luke's face.

Krystal nodded her head, "Well, it certainly looks happy, I guess I'll just see who wants to be my partner." She said. Krystal moved past Luke and went over to where Godro and Geodillo were still waiting on the ground. She knelt down and looked at both of them in the eye, silently deciding which one she would choose as her first partner.

After a few moments she nodded and smiled at Godro, "Hi there Godro, would you like to be my partner?" she asked. The water type starter smiled and yipped happily before it jumped into Krystal's arms in sheer joy.

Krystal laughed, "I'll take that as a yes!" She said before she looked down at the unchosen Geodillo who looked a bit sad that it had not been selected.

Krystal rubbed the top of the grass type starter's shell in comfort, "Don't worry Geodillo, even if you weren't selected today I know that the perfect trainer will be coming for you in no time." She said giving it a reassuring smile which caused the armadillo Pokémon to become extremely flustered and roll up in a ball and roll away.

Professor Cypress laughed, "That Geodillo always was timid but that's how it species usually is," He said before looking at the two new trainers, "Now that the both of you have selected your Pokémon what do you say we everything else settled and get the both of you started on your journeys?" he said getting the two trainers to nod.

The group had gone back inside the lab where Professor Rose had given Krystal her Pokedex.

Professor Cypress had entered the correct information into his records of Luke and Krystal receiving their Pokémon before turning his attention back to them.

"Okay, now that you both have been registered, I will now give you Wolen and Godro's Pokeballs. Now, what is interesting about Pokeballs nowadays is that they have a few additional features that are helpful for trainers on the road." He said showing the back of a Pokeball where there appeared to be a small port that looked as if several different objects could be inserted into it.

"Should the need arise, these ports can be used to give Pokémon potions, antidotes, revives, etc. So, the need to rush your Pokémon to Pokémon centers can be held off if you are in a secluded area. Just place the desired medicine into the port, wait for the light to turn on, and open it up. Its as simple as that." Professor Cypress explained.

Krystal beamed, "Wow, that is incredible!" she said looking at her Pokeball.

Luke nodded, "It really is, this will be really helpful after a serious battle." He said.

The Professor nodded and looked over at his wife who came over with two small carrying cases, "Here you go kids, these are for you to carry your Pokedexs in." she said with both trainers taking one and placing them on their belts. Before placing his Pokedex in his new case Luke decided to check out his Pokedex a bit more in depth. He placed Wolen on table nearby and pointed his Pokedex at it once more. Luke looked through it to get himself more familiar with the device when he came across Wolen's basic info.

"Let's see, Wolen, Male, 1foot, twelve inches, weighs 35 lbs.? Wow you are a big boy, aren't you?" he said causing his Wolen to yip happily.

Professor Rose giggled, "Oh yeah, that Wolen was born a bit heavier than normal but it should be any cause for harm." She said.

Luke nodded and went back to flipping through his Pokedex, "Abilities Blaze and moves known are Tackle, Ember, and Bite. You sound ready for battle, only thing left is to decide what to call." He said before placing his Pokedex into its new holder on the back of his belt. Luke thought it over, he wanted Wolen to have a noble and proud name. One that would fit him perfectly. When he stepped forward slightly the bright sun had poked through the skylight and hit him in the face. Not only did the sun give the room a bit more of an illuminated look but it also reflected off Wolen's fur causing it to look like moving fire and make his eyes shine as bright as an amber jewel. The sun had always been a source of pride for many Tuscerans as the region was very proud of the agriculture that made it grow. That was when it hit him.

Luke smiled as the perfect name came to him, "Helios, that is what I'll call you. A name that means the lord of the sun." He said getting Wolen to howl in appreciation.

Luke laughed, "I guess that means you like it. Okay it's settled, welcome to the family Helios." He said letting Helios onto his shoulder once more.

Krystal smiled at the way that Luke and Helios were bonding and looked down at the Godro she was holding in her arms and hummed, "Well I think that giving this little one a name would be nice too. That would give it a little bit of individuality." She said setting Godro on the table Wolen was on and took out her Pokedex and pointed it at Godro.

"Okay, Godro is a boy too and is 1 foot 14 inches. He weighs about 30 pounds and has the ability Torrent. His known moves are Water Gun, Tail Whip, and Stomp. Cool, now what am I going to call you?" she said.

She snapped her fingers as she realized, "I know, Arthur! I'm going to call you Arthur." She said gaining a curious look from the water starter.

"Arthur, like the King of the Sea Arthur?" Luke asked referring to the childhood story most Tusceran children grew up on about a king who ruled over the seas alongside the Tusceran Legendary Water Pokémon.

Krystal nodded, "Yeah, I think it fits him." She said looking down at Godro who had finally understood the meaning behind his name.

Krystal then picked Arthur up in her arms and turned towards Luke, "Well it looks like we both have gotten our first partners." She said.

Luke turned towards Helios and nodded, "Yep, now both of our journeys can officially start." He said.

Krystal smiled, "Hey I know, why don't we have a battle? To commemorate getting our starter Pokémon." She said.

Luke raised an eyebrow, "A battle huh? What do you say Helios?" he asked his new partner. Helios yipped in response before turning towards Luke, in Helios' eyes, Luke could see a fire burning within them. Helios may have seemed calm on the outside but Luke knew that his partner was a warrior first and foremost.

Luke grinned in anticipation, "Krystal, you have got yourself a battle!" he said gaining an excited smile from Krystal as well as the two Professors shared a smile and a nod as well.

The Professors led the young trainers to an outdoor battlefield that was hidden from the public eye so the results would only be know to the four humans and the Pokémon that were in attendance.

Luke and Krystal stood on opposite sides of the battlefield with Helios and Arthur next to their respective trainers ready for battle.

Professor Rose stood in the center of the field on the sidelines and raised her arms, "This will be a one round Pokémon battle between Krystal Deveraux from Minerva City and Luke Anders from Janus Village. Each trainer may only use one Pokémon each and the battle will end when one Pokémon on either side is unable to battle. Are you both ready?" she asked. The two trainers nodded with their Pokémon in front of them ready to battle. Arthur gave a brief snort and dug his hooves into the ground while Helios bared his fangs pawed the ground.

"Well then, _**Battle Begin**_!"

**Krystal Deveraux vs Luke Anders**

Krystal was literally shaking with excitement from the feeling of her first battle, "Okay Arthur, let's make this battle one to remember! Use Water Gun!" she shouted. Arthur took in a big breath and released a pressurized stream of water from its mouth straight at Helios.

Luke reacted quickly, "Helios dodge it!" he shouted. Helios yipped in response and quickly moved to the side avoiding the water stream.

"Don't let up Arthur, keep using Water Gun!" Krystal shouted as Arthur continued to launch Water Guns at Helios.

Luke smiled, "Don't let those Water Guns hit you, keep dodging and charge in!" Luke told his partner. Helios quickly avoided the water blasts that were aimed at him and charged forward at Arthur. Despite the numerous Water Gun's that were being launched at him, Helios used his speed and agility to quickly avoid them until he was right next to Arthur.

"Now hit him with Bite!" Luke shouted and Helios raced forward with his jaws open and bit down on Arthur's leg before he could launch another Water Gun. Arthur shouted in pain as Helios kept the pressure up.

Krystal looked distraught, "Oh no Arthur! Quick use Stomp to get Helios off you!" she shouted desperately. Arthur gritted through the pain and raised both his hooves up and slammed them down causing Helios' grip to slacken and loosen. Once loose, Arthur quickly pulled free and raised his hooves once more.

Luke's eyes widened, "Helios, move back!" he shouted and Helios did just that before Arthur's hooved connected with him.

Luke sighed in relief, "Boy that was close." He said to himself.

Krystal was excited herself as she saw the battle progress, "Oh wow, this is so cool! I never knew Pokémon battle could be so fun!" she shouted happily and it looked like Arthur shared her feelings as he quickly shook off the pain from the bite and jumped around in happiness.

Luke took a deep breath and smiled before he looked over at Helios who shared and equally happy look on his face.

Luke nodded, "This is what it means to be a trainer and a battler." He said.

Krystal regained herself and looked back towards the battle, "Let's keep this going Arthur, use Water Gun once more!" she shouted and Arthur complied with another blast of water.

Luke smiled as he got his head back in the game, "Helios, meet that Water Gun head on with Ember!" he shouted and Helios released several small, fiery pellets from his mouth that collided with the Water Gun causing a large cloud of steam to form and cover the filed.

"Water Gun again!" Luke heard Krystal shout and his eyes widened. A powerful stream of water shot through the cloud of steam and nailed Helios.

Luke saw his partner get hit, knocked off his feet, and slide back to their side of the field with water droplets hanging off his fur.

"Helios, are you okay?" Luke asked in fear. Helios took an extremely effective move dead on and from the looks of it, it caused some major damage. But Helios wasn't having that, he shook the water from his fur and got back to his feet and howled.

The Water Gun was effective, and Helios took some damage but Luke could tell that Helios was no quitter.

Luke sighed in relief, _'It's great that Helios is okay but letting this battle go on any longer.'_

Luke nodded, "Okay Helios, let's win this thing! Charge in and use Ember, don't let up!" he shouted and Helios followed the command by rushing at Arthur and letting loose his fiery pellets as he ran.

"Arthur, dodge those attacks!" Krystal commanded quickly. Arthur ducked and weaved as quickly as he could to avoid the onslaught of Ember attacks. While he was able to avoid most of them, a lot of the pellets still struck him dead on.

Luke smiled and nodded, "That's right keep that up Helios!" he encouraged his partner who nodded in response and continued to fire Ember attacks while moving from one spot to another.

Professor Rose put a hand on her chin and pondered the battle that was happening, "Why is Luke moving while launching attacks? Since Arthur is a Water-type, fire attacks won't really due much damage so there's really no reason to move around like that." She said as she observed the young trainers.

Professor Cypress Chuckled slightly, "I think you need to look a bit closer at the battle a bit dear, those attacks are having a different effect on Arthur that you think." He said. Rose looked at her husband with a strange look but when she looked back at the battle she noticed that Arthur seemed to be getting more and more exhausted and weak until one of his legs gave out from the attacks he was taking.

Luke's eyes widened as he saw this, the Ember attacks were finally taking effect.

"Now Helios, use Tackle!" Luke shouted and Helios stopped his Ember attacks and rushed at Arthur who was still recovering. Helios slammed into Arthur at full speed and knocked the Water Starter back.

Krystal gasped, "Arthur are you okay?" she asked worriedly. Arthur did his best to reassure his trainer but the exhaustion and damage that he had taken was beginning to become too much for him.

Luke nodded, "Time to wrap things up, Helios use Tackle once more!" he commanded, and Helios charged in. Once he was in range, Helios dipped his head down and plowed right into the young water starter. The attack had enough force behind it to launch Arthur across the field and pass where Krystal was standing.

Krystal looked behind her in worry, "Arthur!" she shouted before running over to where her Pokémon was. Arthur was now on the ground and clearly knocked out. Professor Cypress saw this and nodded his head.

"Arthur is unable to battle, Helios wins! The winner of this battle is Luke Anders from Janus Village!" The professor announced raising his arm towards Luke's side.

The shock of wining was a bit too much for both Luke and Helios as they were both still panting from all the adrenaline that was pumping through their systems.

Finally, Luke remembered what had just happened, "W-We won." He said as he looked at his new partner who had a big smile on his furry face.

Then he broke out into a massive smile, "WE WON!" Luke shouted at the top of his lungs while Helios released the loudest howl that he could.

Luke ran towards Helios and picked the little wolf up in his arms and swung him around, "Helios you were amazing! You were so strong, and you made me so proud. I know that together we can go far, all the way to the top of the Tuscero League." He said Helios smiled at his new trainer and proceeded to lick his face.

Luke laughed, "Easy boy." He said as he placed Helios on his shoulder once more before he looked over at Krystal who was fussing over Arthur as the young Water Starter was waking back up. Luke quickly ran over to his bag, rushing past the professor's who wanted to congratulate him, and reached into his collection of Pokebites. He grabbed two blue and two reds and ran back over to Arthur and Krystal.

Luke smiled at the female trainer, "Hey Krystal, that was a great battle. You and Arthur were amazing. Here, have him eat these. They will help him recover his strength." He said presenting the two blue Pokebites to the pair.

Krystal smiled and took the bites, "Thanks Luke. You and Helios should be very proud of how the two of you battled." She said as she gave Arthur the two blue bites. Once the young water deer took the bites into his mouth he seemed to get his energy back and put on a huge smile on his face.

The professors both came towards the two trainers who had both gotten back to their feet with their Pokémon, "Well I must say you two, that was some incredible battling you just did. Whatever path you two choose to go on for your journey's I know that you both will do amazing things." Professor Cypress said as Professor Rose handed the trainers their bags back as well as a map of the Tuscero Region.

"This map will help you both navigate around the region on your journeys. We both wish you the best of luck and don't forget to call in every now and then." She said with a smile. Luke and Krystal took their bags and the maps gratefully before nodding to the Professors.

After saying their goodbyes to the Professors Luke and Krystal walked out of the lab and stood in front of the lab, Arthur was still in Krystal's arms while Helios was on Luke's shoulder.

"Well that was a really fun battle Krystal. I look forward to when we can have another one." Luke said with Helios agreeing with him.

Krystal giggled and nodded, "I agree. So where are you going to head to now?" she asked.

Luke nodded, "I'm going to head to the Pokémon center first so Helios can get a full rest up then head to Persephone City for my first gym badge." He said.

Krystal nodded, "Sounds good, I'm going to say goodbye to my family then head to Enyo City for my first gym badge. The next time I see you I won't lose." She said with a fire in her eyes.

Luke smirked, "I look forward to it. Until then, take care of yourself and Arthur and any other family members you meet along your journey." He said holding his hand out. Krystal smiled happily and shook his hand and let got. The two trainers turned away from each other and walked down their respected paths, neither one said anything to the other but the link had been made. From thus point on, two new rivals had been made and the first chapter in their stories had been made.

Luke walked down the streets of Minerva taking in the breathtaking sights of the enormous city. He had walked passed a few small shops and cafes before coming to a large cross section that separated the city in three different sections. One section was primarily the residential area where most of Minerva's residents lived with their families while the other area where Luke was was apparently called the Business district obviously enough. This was where many of the businesses in Minerva had been stationed and set up business while the final area was affectionately called the Play district. This was where the various malls, arcades, more luxury stores, and various other establishments that offered a few different entertainment options for the cities' residents. All in all, the city certainly was an enormous place to navigate but luckily Luke was able to find his way to the Pokémon center which was only a few blocks away from the Minerva City Gym. The familiar red and white building was a bit bigger than Luke had been anticipating but considering the size of the city it made sense.

Luke and Helios had walked through the automatic door and the cool feeling of A/C hit his skin offering a refreshing feeling to his body. Inside Luke saw several different types of phones, a sitting area, a mini restaurant, a few other trainers with their Pokémon, and of course the ever-familiar Nurse Joy sitting behind the counter of the main desk that stood in the middle of the Center. Luke smiled as he walked up to the pink haired nurse who offered him a warm smile.

"Welcome to the Pokémon Center, how can I help you today?" she asked sweetly.

Luke smiled and took Helios off his shoulder and placed him on the counter, "Hi Nurse Joy, I was hoping you could give my Pokémon a little refresher before we head off on our journey." Luke said.

Nurse Joy smiled and nodded, "Not a problem, Chansey could you come here and take this Wolen please." She asked her partner Pokémon.

"Chansey!" the round pink, Pokémon squealed in response before rushing over with a small wheeling bed. Chansey was a pink, ovoid Pokémon with stubby arms and dark pink feet. It has tiny eyes and three hair-like growths on each side of its head that had dark pink tips. The center of its belly had a small pouch that contained a single white egg and a short tail sprouted from it back. The pink egg Pokémon wore a white apron that was wrapped around its waist along with a white nurse's cap that matched Nurse Joy's.

Chansey pulled the bed up towards Luke and the Nurse and waited patiently for Helios to jump on. The young wolf pup looked at Luke with a slight fear but was quickly comforted by a soothing look from Luke and a pet on the head.

"Don't worry buddy, you're just going to get a quick rest before we head out. I promise that I will be right here when you finish." Luke said comfortably. Helios seemed comforted by that and nodded before jumping on the bed.

Nurse Joy nodded, "I'll leave the rest to you Chansey." She said.

"Chansey!" the pink Pokémon responded and wheeled the bed to a back room behind a mechanical door. Luke smiled as he saw his first Pokémon disappear behind the doors before turning back to the Nurse.

"Since I'm here Nurse Joy, I would like to register for the Tuscero League." He said.

Nurse Joy smiled, "Of course, just take your Pokedex and place it on the screen in front of you." She said addressing the blank black screen that was on the counter in front of Luke. Luke unclipped his Pokedex from its holder and placed in the middle of the screen.

_Registration complete for Luke Anders of Janus Village. Current Badges: 0, May the winds of fortune bring good tidings on your journey. _

Nurse joy nodded, "You are all set. I wish you good luck on your journey." She said. Luke thanked the nurse and took back his Pokedex. After clipping it back in place, Luke spied an interesting machine next to the main desk that had pictures of various Pokeballs on it.

"Excuse me Nurse Joy, what is that machine over there?" Luke asked pointing to the machine. The nurse looked over and smiled like she was excited.

"That is a new machine that all Tuscero Pokémon Centers have now. Developed by the Mason Corporation it is a new Pokeball Stylizing Machine, basically it allows anyone to personalize the Pokeballs of their Pokémon however they like to make it more for themselves." She said happily.

Luke smiled, "Sweet!" he said thanking the nurse before walking over to the machine. The controls themselves were simple all he had to do was place his Pokeball inside the machine, without the Pokémon inside, and choose the colors and designs.

Luke nodded, "This will be perfect for Helios and any other Pokémon I capture." He said. Luke placed Helios' Pokeball inside the glass capsule on the machine and closed it. He selected the base color as a fiery orange with some red and yellow on the edges of the ball. He also added the same yellow sun symbol that was on his Z-Ring and placed it on the front where the main button was with a few other wisps of fire spreading out around the Pokeball. Once he was happy with the design of his Pokeball he selected Finish on the screen in front of the machine and it got to work paining it. Luke like the individuality that this Pokeball would give him and Helios to show the world just how special Helios was to him. The customization finished and the design looked amazing and it fit Helios perfectly. No sooner had he finished with the Pokeball his name was called signaling that Helios was finished.

Luke walked back over to the counter to see Chansey wheeling out his partner who looked refreshed and ready to take on anything.

Nurse Joy smiled, "Your Wolen has recovered perfectly. He is in perfect health." She said and Helios quickly jumped off the bed and onto Luke's shoulder.

Luke smiled as Helios nuzzled his face, "Welcome back Helios."

"Wolen!" he yipped before licking his face.

Nurse Joy giggled, "You two look so close, how long have you had that Wolen?" she asked.

Luke petted Helios once more, "We actually just met this morning. Helios is my very first Pokémon." He said getting a happy yip from his partner.

Nurse Joy was surprised, "Wow and you are already that close. That's the sign of a genuine bond. I wish both you and Helios the best of luck on your journey."

"Chansey!"

Luke smiled, "Thank you Nurse Joy. See you next time." He said turning away as another trainer came forward.

As Luke walked away from the desk, he pulled out Helios Pokeball that he customized.

"Check it out buddy, I was able to give your Pokeball some upgrades. Now it matches." He said showing the new fiery orange Pokeball. Helios' eyes lit up as he observed his new Pokeball. The wolf pup yipped happily before licking his trainer's face.

Luke laughed, "Ha ha, okay okay. I guess you like it. That's good to know." He said as he put the Pokeball away and walked out of the Center. According to the map he had to head through the Play District to get to route 101 which would be his first path towards Persephone City. The walk through the city was certainly a hit to the senses, colors, flashes of light, dozens of sounds, and dozens if not hundreds of people were running through the streets as happy as can be.

Luke smiled as he looked around the surrounding streets, "Man this city sure is lively. I can just imagine what it would be like at night." He said with Helios looking around with stars in his eyes. As he reached the edge of the city he noticed a few kids that couldn't have been any older than 12 gathered behind a rather chubby dark haired boy who was on the ground with a scared look on his face.

One of the boys who just screamed like he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth moved to the front to stand in front of the chubby boy. The rich looking boy was dressed in a pair of black slacks, a white shirt with a black best, a bow tie, and an obscene amount of gel in his hair stood in front with a condescending smirk.

"Really Charlie, out of all the Pokémon that you could have chosen you go with a Flabebe? Wow, that's just stupid. You should have chosen a stronger and cooler Pokémon like my Phanpy." He said gesturing to the blue elephant Pokémon by his feet.

Charlie, the chubby boy on the ground, stood up and glared at the richer boy, "Just because Lily isn't big or strong it doesn't mean that she isn't a good Pokémon Roger." He said with the tiny flower Pokémon resting on his shoulder. The Flabebe was clutching a white flower as she had a worried look on her face.

One of the other boys came up behind Charlie and pushed him down again. Lily, worried for her trainer, quickly went to check on him but was stopped when Roger quickly grabbed her.

Roger smirked, "Please, look at this sissy looking Pokémon. It can barely do anything, let alone become a strong Pokémon. Actually, I think it fits you perfectly. A sissy Pokémon for a sissy boy!" he said laughing while his crew did the same. This made Luke growl, he did not like bullies. At all. And it seems that Helios shared that sentiment as he growled along with Luke.

Charlie quickly got back up and tried to get Lily back, but Roger's crew pushed him back down to the ground.

One of the boys laughed at Charlie, "Man what a little wuss. Its like no one in this family can ever fight back." He laughed.

Another one laughed too, "Seriously, his mom is a librarian and his dad is a baker. Neither of them can do anything!" he laughed. Roger continued to laugh with his Phanpy while holding Lily by her small, stem like tail. Charlie just looked like he was terrified, not that Luke could blame him. The fear of getting bullied always messed with a person's mind. Luke was like that as a child when he wanted to become a chef and a few of the other kids he knew didn't take to well to that.

Luke looked over at Charlie who had finally gotten back up, but he had a very angry look in his eyes.

Roger stopped laughing and glared at Charlie, "Oh, is the little fatso gonna do something?" he said tauntingly.

Charlie took a deep breath, "Give me, my Lily, back!" he shouted before running at Roger and hit him with a rushing charge that knocked him back a few feet. Roger's crew and his Phanpy quickly ran over to him to help him while Charlie gently took Lily back in his arms to make sure she was okay. Luke was surprised, that tackle wasn't just something that came from instinct. The way he positioned himself and the speed he launched himself, that was training.

When Luke realized what kind of training the young Charlie had it made him smile as he remembered that he had received similar training as well.

Roger looked back over to Charlie with a glare on his face, "Y-you little fatso! How dare you touch me with your filthy, low bred hands! I'll show you what happens when you mess with a Branson! Phanpy, use Roll Out!" he ordered, and the small elephant responded and tucked its body in and began to roll at a rapid pace. The little Phanpy charged its rolling body towards Charlie who quickly covered Lily with his body and waited for the oncoming attack.

Luke had had enough, "Helios, Tackle!" he shouted, and his small partner jumped off his shoulder and charged at the rolling Phanpy. Just as Phanpy was about to hit Charlie, Helios rammed himself headfirst into the rolling elephant. Knocking flat onto its side as he stood in front of Charlie and Lily with Luke standing right next to him.

Roger looked over at his partner on the ground, "Phanpy!" he shouted as he ran over towards it.

Luke narrowed his eyes at Roger as he was checking over his Phanpy, "Using your Pokémon to attack a defenseless person and their Pokémon is something that I cannot look past." He said with his arms crossed.

"Wolen!" Helios yipped in agreement as he bared his fangs at Roger. Charlie just opened his eyes and looked up at the older boy with a starstruck look in his eyes. Even though he had no idea who he was, Charlie somehow felt more confident with him there.

Roger's face was a red as a beet with anger, "Why are you butting in? This isn't any of your business so just butt out and you won't get hurt." He shouted trying to look intimidating but the way his face was sweating made Luke know that he was just putting on airs.

Luke scoffed, "If you actually think you can hurt me or Helios than you must be either be crazy or stupid." He said with Helios agreeing with him, Luke now noticed that a small crowd was gathering around them wondering what was happening.

Roger looked like he was just about to explode, "Oh that is it! I'll show you just how strong I am! Phanpy use Tackle!" he shouted and Phanpy rushed at Helios.

At first Helios and Luke did nothing as Phanpy grew closer and closer and just as Phanpy got into their range that was when they reacted.

Luke's eyes snapped open, "Helios, sidestep then Bite!" Helios quickly sidestepped to the left just as Phanpy was about to hit him, causing the small elephant to lose its balance and slam into the ground. As it was getting back up, Helios rushed at Phanpy and bit down on its body causing it to scream in pain. Helios then threw Phanpy back over to where Roger was.

Roger gasped as he saw his Phanpy clearly knocked out. At first he was in shock of what happened but that soon ended as he became angry again.

"What was that? That was not supposed to happen, you should have just given up when you saw me! I'm a Branson, we are the most powerful family in Tuscero! No one defies us!" he shouted as he went over to Phanpy and started yelling at it.

"You are so weak, you can't do anything right! Why didn't you just charge right at that Wolen!? I guess you really are just a worthless…" Roger was quickly cut off as a large hand quickly smacked the back of his head in order to get him to shut up. Roger screamed in pain as he clutched the back of his head, he looked up to see Luke with a dark expression on his face.

"That is not how a Trainer acts. You're Phanpy worked its best but it lost. You should be praising it for the job it did and working on how to do a better job next time. The fact that you throw a tantrum and yell at your Pokémon shows me that you are way too immature to be a Trainer much less have a Pokémon but that isn't something I can change since its clear that Phanpy loves you. Remember, a name is just a name. It's what you do with it that matters. Even a Branson can appreciate that. And if you're wondering why I hit you its because you obviously need some tough love when it comes to being a trainer." Luke told the young Trainer before giving his Phanpy a potion and a ground-type Pokebite so it could get its energy back. Luke walked back over to Helios and let the wolf back onto his shoulder.

As he continued his walk, he passed by Charlie who looked up at him with stars in his eyes. Luke smiled at the young man and tossed him a grass-type and a fairy-type Pokebite.

"Remember boys, there's a time to stand your ground and a time to walk away. Its up to you to decide which is which. And look after your Pokémon, they don't just battle for us but they are also our friends and family." He said as he petted Helios once more and continued his way.

The people that had been watching Luke battle were a bit surprised at the actions of the older trainer and how he acted towards the younger trainers. Not many people would do that towards a child who wasn't even an official trainer yet.

"Hey!" two voice shouted behind Luke who stopped and looked over his shoulder to see Charlie and Roger.

"What's your name?" They shouted.

Luke smiled and raised his hand to the air with his pointer finger straight up, the sun behind his back, and his coat billowing in the wind.

"My name is Luke Anders, the man who will become Tuscero's next Champion." He said proudly as he turned his back towards the path out of the city.

The two young trainers both looked towards Luke then to each other each swearing their own oath about the man they had just met.

_One day, I'm gonna be strong enough to beat that guy. _They both thought as they looked towards the older trainer walking away.

Luke made his way to the edge of the city where Minerva City met the nearby forests that would lead to Persephone City and Luke's first gym badge.

Luke smiled, "Here we go Helios, the first step towards our dream." He said with his partner agreeing. Little did the two know that this journey would be everything they expected and more.

_To be continued…_

_ Hey Everyone, Kuro no Okami 23 here. I noticed that in my last chapter I made a typo. So, Luke received the Rockium Z from Olivia since that is her Trial. Not the Groudium one. Sorry about that. _


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